Jazzy and Snazzy!
Mamamoo has always been a wonderfully quirky, power-vocal group and this release lives up to those expectations. The track itself is jazzy rap at it's best, dynamic and fluid while strong and steady. The utter lack of cutesy-voice always makes me proud and the fact that aegyo is pulled off in other ways stands as an example for the rest of Kpop's cutesy girl-groups. Esna provides a deep voice, rich with sass and the smoothe vocals of Mamamoo blend well with it. The direct comments on the male-gaze and imbalance towards chickas in the media is wonderful. The girls of Mamamoo appear in their skirts and cuteness as little more than props in ads or as part of some undervalued and supposedly frivolous aspects of life (the travel bit and the importance of loveliness 'french design'). Meanwhile, Esna appears as one of the "10 Ten Musicians", but only in a pant-suit that mimics male-attire.
Additionally the lyrics discuss how none of the singers need anything fancy, they just need their man to man-up and be good the them. A real man should admit to liking them, and either do something about their feelings or get lost because the girls have their own shit to do. The lyrics sit beautifully within a rather simple instrumental backing, that leaves the track feeling open and airy even as there is a LOT going on rhythmically. The jazzy swing to it adds both sass and class as well as giving a firm basis for the sultry vocals to sink through and spring off of. The styling is glorious, retro chic and yet cut with contemporary lines. All of the girls look gorgeous, with varying types of femininity showing through (and I'm a sucker for a monochromatic pant-suit, the drama in them is just so much fun to play with). The representations of girls being sweetheart best friends and still strong and sassy is wonderful, particularly with the lack of homoerotic undertones being wedged inside the friendships. The bit with the shaving and the boys' lives in the girls' hands is a wonderfully poignant comment on who really rules the world. The tagline of "Respect the Girl" is one that should resonate through history, and it's perfectly suited to modern culture.
In short, I LOVE it. It's not exactly my favorite from Mamamoo, that honor is still held by Mr Ambiguous, which I think will be hard to top no matter how much time, effort, money, etc is poured into a release. That track is just catchy and clever on an entirely different level. Perhaps because it was a brand new sound in the Kpop world, and Ahh Oop! is in a now-established vein, but honestly I could analyze both tracks to death and still come up with Mr Ambiguous as the more powerful and catchy of the two. I'll easily admit that this is a close second, though.
I also deeply enjoy how the wonderful and dramatic eSNa rewrote the track to Ahh Shit! which is not so much a remake as it is a direct and poignant comment in the very best of musical manners. I honestly like Ahh Shit! better than Ahh Oop! because there's just so much more emotion in it, an undercurrent of resonant power that carries legitimate weight. The original is mostly sweetness and sass, the re-visioning is a stance to get behind.
The one thing I hate is that people are calling them better than Idols because of their strength and individuality, which as you all should know by know, irks me to no end. Still, this is a great release and I love it!
Additionally the lyrics discuss how none of the singers need anything fancy, they just need their man to man-up and be good the them. A real man should admit to liking them, and either do something about their feelings or get lost because the girls have their own shit to do. The lyrics sit beautifully within a rather simple instrumental backing, that leaves the track feeling open and airy even as there is a LOT going on rhythmically. The jazzy swing to it adds both sass and class as well as giving a firm basis for the sultry vocals to sink through and spring off of. The styling is glorious, retro chic and yet cut with contemporary lines. All of the girls look gorgeous, with varying types of femininity showing through (and I'm a sucker for a monochromatic pant-suit, the drama in them is just so much fun to play with). The representations of girls being sweetheart best friends and still strong and sassy is wonderful, particularly with the lack of homoerotic undertones being wedged inside the friendships. The bit with the shaving and the boys' lives in the girls' hands is a wonderfully poignant comment on who really rules the world. The tagline of "Respect the Girl" is one that should resonate through history, and it's perfectly suited to modern culture.
In short, I LOVE it. It's not exactly my favorite from Mamamoo, that honor is still held by Mr Ambiguous, which I think will be hard to top no matter how much time, effort, money, etc is poured into a release. That track is just catchy and clever on an entirely different level. Perhaps because it was a brand new sound in the Kpop world, and Ahh Oop! is in a now-established vein, but honestly I could analyze both tracks to death and still come up with Mr Ambiguous as the more powerful and catchy of the two. I'll easily admit that this is a close second, though.
I also deeply enjoy how the wonderful and dramatic eSNa rewrote the track to Ahh Shit! which is not so much a remake as it is a direct and poignant comment in the very best of musical manners. I honestly like Ahh Shit! better than Ahh Oop! because there's just so much more emotion in it, an undercurrent of resonant power that carries legitimate weight. The original is mostly sweetness and sass, the re-visioning is a stance to get behind.
The one thing I hate is that people are calling them better than Idols because of their strength and individuality, which as you all should know by know, irks me to no end. Still, this is a great release and I love it!
I Give It An 8/10: Fabulous! |  |
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