eunhyuk - sorry sorry answer solo
Get every inch of it, IU.
Anonymous asked: I'm sick of seeing commenst from some IU fans saying that Juniel is copying her in every freaking article, what do you think about it?
I think it’s a cheap comparison.
“hey, this person is a girl and she’s young and she sings - let’s think of the only other idol who fits this description and compare her to them.”
K-Pop is incredibly selective of who it popularizes, so it’s not surprising to see news sources comparing juniel to the only other solo artist that is semi like her in musical style.
Anonymous asked: Why do you think that IU is overrated?
ahhh, this was somewhere in my inbox, and I never answered :x
Basically, I think she IS extremely talented and has had really amazing moments in her musical career. However, her singing has become extremely thin as of late, to the point that she has to be in the proper environment with the proper material for her to sound as good as I think she can be. Her singing becomes very shrill and screechy most of the time, and I just don’t find that very appealing. The masses however, eat up her shrill high notes like they’re the greatest things ever heard to the human ear, and that’s where “overrated” comes in. More than IU being overrated, I think her over-singing is gotten the best of her.
She’s amazing and beautiful when she blends intensity and grace into her performances. I need more of that.
TOP KPOP SONGS OF 2011
The year is nearing the end, folks, and in true celebratory fashion, McRoth’s Residence is here to present its third annual “Top Kpop Songs Of 2011”!
Below is a list of 25 Top Kpop Songs (with reviews), written by yours truly (McRoth), plus contributing writers drowningn00b and lolpenny. That’s it! We sat through the rules, and now it’s time to enjoy the songs that we at McRoth’s Residence thought were some of the best of the year 2011.
QUICK REMINDER: These 25 songs span from July to December. For the 25 songs chosen for January - June, please check out the Top Kpop Songs Of 2011: Mid Year Roundup, which features 2NE1, B2st, DBSK, SISTAR19, and many many more!
TOP KPOP SONGS OF 2011 PLAYLIST
*** Full list of Top Kpop Songs Of 2011 (July - December) post and commentary can be found only on mcrothsresidence.com
> ”Top Kpop Songs Of 2011” playlist available on YouTube (Here)
> ShortForm ‘‘TOP KPOP SONGS OF 2011 Party’ announcement will be made on Facebook and Twitter very soon!!
> McRoth’s Residence is now on Tumblr - follow me here
> “Top Kpop Songs Of 2011: Mid Year Roundup”
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> TOP KPOP MVs OF 2011 (coming soon)
> POLL RESULTS: Best Album Of 2011 (12/19/11)
> POLL RESULTS: Best Mini-Album Of 2011 (12/23/11)
> McRoth’s Residence: Best Album and Best Mini-Album of 2011 (12/23/11)
TOP KPOP SONGS OF 2011: MID YEAR ROUNDUP
Find a full introduction and rules to the Top KPop Songs Of 2011 (TKSO): Mid Year Roundup special here.
***the following songs were chosen by McRoth’s Residence writers - McRoth, Drowningn00b, and lolpenny - as top kpop songs for the first half of 2011. Enjoy!
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2NE1 - Lonely
I know I’m not alone in saying that after a year of auto-tune, grinding synths, and sirens that it was about time to give it all a rest for a while. I mean, you absolutely have to give big props to Teddy for chiseling out some awesome songs for 2NE1. The man has his style, and sticks to it, and even better is that 2NE1 know exactly how to execute them to their full potential. But it wasn’t until the release of “Lonely” that we got what we asked for (which is a non-autotuned, non-dancepop song), as well as new insight as to what YG Entertainment has to offer, other than ‘digital sounds’ from their ‘digital world’. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing 2NE1 take it down a notch and just sing their little hearts out. It’s the most emotional they have ever been, and that speaks in volumes. I would have loved it if there wasn’t so much reverb on their voices, but dude - it’s just vocals, a guitar, and, like, some strings. *applauds*
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4MEN - Puzzle
I love 4Men, and will take their music to my grave. Each member has an incredible voice, and listening to all three together…*faints*….”Puzzle” just had to make it onto the list, because not only is it a great little ditty, but each member sounds absolutely amazing on it. The song itself is a mid-tempo, and 4men are normally stuck singing really moody ballads, so this was a refreshing fit for them as a unit. Favorite part of the song? Every second I got to hear Young Jae growl at me with his enamoring lower register. I have a thing for the bass singers in groups, and deep voices in general, so, er, he pretty much killed me here. As did all of the harmonies. The HARMONIES! Seriously, how often do you hear these things called ~ harmonies ~ in Kpop? Not very often, if you ask moi…
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4MINUTE - Mirror Mirror
Um, okay. This song is not exactly on here because of any musicality merits or outstanding performance from 4minute. Let’s face it, those words will never apply to these five bombshells in Kpop, but I have something to confess: this song won’t leave me alone, and because of its persistence, has become my largest guilty pleasure this year. I know, I KNOW! Should I seek help, people? Is this like, a legit problem I should get checked? Because, holy mother of god, I can’t stop playing it. Like, I played it about seven times during my process of picking songs for this list. I blame a certain someone who happened to spend the time ‘remastering’ “Mirror, Mirror”. The finished cut eliminates all the wrong things about the song, and in the end, is damn sup-e-ri-or to the original. If you’re curious, click here to download certain someone’s edited version of “Mirror, Mirror”. The one that should actually be on this list. And let me just tell you, you will replay it and replay it and replay it and replay it and…
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AFTER SCHOOL - Shampoo
After School and I have a love/hate relationship in that I love their music but hate that even in a group of eight, Kahi still manages to stand front and center. ‘Shampoo’ is a step forward for the group if only because the previously ignored members get a chance to stand out. Jungah, the lead vocalist, finally takes her place as the lead vocalist for the first time since their 2009 debut and we get to hear Nana rap which was just adorable. Calm piano melodies seem to be a trend this year in K-pop and After School is hardly the first to try it but there is an edge, an attitude to After School that puts ‘Shampoo’ above the rest. —- lolpenny
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B1A4 - OK
I have no shame in admitting that I give in to the ‘cuteness’ of some of these boy-bands from time to time, and B1A4 is one I have flocked to like a whacky 12 year old school-girl with a lollipop stuck in her hair, squealing through my trembling lips: “OMO!” and “OPPAAAA!”, as my knees quiver and my arms flap like a bird’s. I mean, the verses and chorus are so fun and energetic, that McWoth wants to w-ide on his scooter howling “I wuv youuuuu-UUU-uuu-UU-UUU-UUUU” down the street, on my way to the local Party City, in search of streamers, feather boas, and rattling what’s-its to throw a cute-ass party… OK, who are you and what the hell did you do with McRoth?
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B2ST - Fiction
B2ST was never on my radar until late last year, when they, quite out of the blue, began releasing decent music. I kind of had this bitter stance from the get-go when it came to B2ST. Something about their music didn’t really click with me. I’m not sure if it was the unimaginative nature of their debut, or the lack of uniqueness in their music, but I tore into them for it, and didn’t let go of the pessimism until this year. When they dropped ‘Fiction & Fact’. And finally proved their worth with some of the best pop music this year, and, truthfully, from a boy-band in a long time. This album and this song is the culmination of musical growth, and what artistic development is all about. I love it to bits.
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BIGBANG - Tonight
Buh-buh-Big. BANG came back this year, and although my little review was perceived as a downer (thanks, disturbingly obsessed fans, for that), I actually LIKED their comeback material. Sure, it was no 2007-2008 Big Bang, but you have to admit, the quality and prettiness of their 2011 music was very much there and very much alive. They gave in to their electronic tendencies and embraced this ‘minimalistic’ approach that frequents Western pop music. Big Bang are living in the now, and the now is pretty damn good as far as these five go (well, not for Daesung, but let’s not even go there). Like “Tonight”. This song is not a loud club-banger, but it energizes you like one. The chorus is one of my favorites from Big Bang, and just hearing them together on one song feels right. I can’t say the same for their 2011 mini album as a whole, because it felt less unified and more chopped up for five soloists (which isn’t a bad thing, mo’fo’, just a criticism/observation), but this song on its own was a highlight for me. Clearly, YG Entertainment is heading in a new direction, and you know what - I think I want in.
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DALMATIAN - Real Eyes
This song is pure gold. If I hadn’t looked twice, I would have believed this to be a song from a veteran Kpop group rather than from mother-freaking rookies. Forget their strange band name, Dalmatian have done with this song what not many have achieved, and that’s to put their seniors to shame. The way they intertwined singing with rap into this pop-jazz arrangement is quite masterful for a group of this caliber. It’s nothing I haven’t heard, but just the sheer clarity and effortlessness of their approach is commendable and worth acknowledging, especially now that there are more rookie groups than I can keep up with.
[Review][Album] IU - “Last Fantasy”
By and large, IU is adorable, but to build music on that is nothing short of a challenge. For the past couple of years, IU’s management has toyed with her natural innocence, and in doing so, they have made musical decisions that were suited for her artistic potential, but have failed to interpret it. IU’s “Marshmellow” is one instance of their failure.
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More than being a cute girl though, IU is actually fucking talented too. As such, screwing her over in both the vocal and cuteness departments is a fool’s mistake. Yet, it happens.
To my relief, IU’s newest album, “Last Fantasy“, managed to deliver on all accounts, and then some.
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In a few words, “Last Fantasy” is whimsical, imaginative, and beautiful. It comes across very age-appropriate, so you could say that I’ve already bled hearts of joy just hearing IU on a conceptually solid album.
But where “Last Fantasy” brings everything full circle is in the orchestral arrangements. This album is filled with intricate melodies that are gracefully tied in between IU’s voice and the massive soundscapes behind her.
The production is not only great, but entirely inspired. Each and every song plays a role in bringing this “fantasy” to life, and I can’t help but smile as I listen to it.
