Tag: MAMAMOO

Mamamoo ends the Autumn season with another comeback, making this their 3rd comeback so far. They have been releasing mini-albums every season for their 4 Seasons tetralogy this year, with Starry Night in Spring and Egotistic in Summer. For Autumn, the title track is Wind Flower and it is featured on their 8th mini-album, Blue:S. The only season left is Winter and my prediction is that won’t come until the very end of Winter, based on their release dates of the previous 3 seasons. But we are here for Wind Flower, so let’s dive in for a closer look.

Wind Flower is a pretty neat song.  The first thing you get when you listen to the song is a blast of smoothness. The song almost reminds me of a jazzy number, but not quite. It also has an interesting blend of R&B, which brings the emotional side of the lyrics into play. Together, it creates a song that I think only Mamamoo can nail. Their vocals feel perfect for the song and the season. It goes to show that Mamamoo doesn’t need to rely on their powerhouse vocals to get the job done. I thought the song had some interesting textures, based on different vocal styles I heard in the song. The husky whispers of Wind Flower just prior to the choruses show a delicate nature, while Moonbyul’s rap and vocals during the bridge bring a little bit of coarseness to the song. The choruses themselves do pop a lot, giving the song that needed boost of energy to make it memorable and another Mamamoo hit.

The emotional side of the comeback can be seen most prominently in their music video. The members are feeling the emotions from their past relationships despite breaking up. They spend some time of the video by themselves, feeling heartbreak. But towards the end of the video, the members band together to have some fun on the streets of Hong Kong and forget about their troubles. They have fun drinking heavily (while it is depicted as alcohol, they are actually drinking oolong tea) and then some more fun eating soft serve cones from McDonald’s. I like the video quite a bit as it brings a really beautiful insight into the nightlife of Hong Kong. And the acting in some of the parts of the video are on point.

I thought the performance was quite fitting. It wasn’t as hard-hitting or sexy like Egotistic but it had its own charms. I thought the heartbreaking summed up the song pretty well, while the incorporation of the number 2 during the chorus was a nice bounce back from that saddening theme.  Also, the male backup dancers added a nice touch, especially for the freestyle bit at the end.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

Two of my most favourite groups are making their return on the same day! This is getting a little too much to handle. But we are for Ma-ma-moo~! Mamamoo has returned with their Summer comeback, Egotistic, the main title track off their 7th mini-album, Red Moon. Mamamoo previously made their comeback earlier this year with Starry Night and they seem to be continuing on with their exotic flair concept with this comeback.

Egotistic brings on the Latin flair to a whole new level (with the basis being their Starry Night comeback). And it is an extremely powerful song, which I think plays towards their strengths. I say that because paired with the powerful vibes is the strong vocals we associate with the group. I really did like the guitars in the instrumental and liked how they managed to incorporate some change at the final moments by adding some electric guitar, which I felt was expected. What was rather unexpected was the reggae vibes the song managed to incorporated for Moonbyul’s rap in the second verse. It isn’t something that I would associate with the Latin flair but it worked really well. The chorus was super catchy and definitely making it on my playlist! I think the most impactful moment of the song was the final moments of the pre-chorus, which the members sing-speaking the ‘Egotistic’ title with the accompanying grunt.

Egotistic is a video that catches you off guard and you don’t know where to look after viewing the first few scenes (with the lyrics kick in). That is exactly what I felt when I first watched the video today. The video was extremely sexy, which was somewhat unexpected (though I should have paid more attention to the teasers, to be honest). The concept plays well with the song’s sound, going in with Latin and quite heavily with the exotic vibes. I really liked the use of fire for the final chorus, which definitely brought up the heat for viewers at home. I particularly liked the dress swirls at the end of the video.

I liked the performance because it looks relatively simple, allowing them to focus on their vocals during the performance. It definitely also played towards the song’s sound and was definitely very fitting. I think to match the overall presence during the music video, the choreography could have been a lot sexier but knowing Korean standards, this is good enough.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

A few days ago, Mamamoo made their comeback with Starry Night. The day before their comeback, Mamamoo dropped a surprise music video for another song on their mini-album. Star Wind Flower Sun is the second track on their latest release. The combination of song and music video allows me to write a review, which is why we are here today.

Mamamoo has made a very big name in the industry for their vocals. Through their many appearances on variety TV shows and music comebacks, they have confirmed this time and time again. Star Wind Flower Sun is just another piece of evidence to add to that list. The ballad showcases the group’s vocals and this includes everyone (even though I will be talking about one particular member only). We see more of Moonbyul singing than ever before and her voice is just amazing. I also love her rap-singing during the second verse, where it literally was more singing than rapping. The harmonies in this track are also remarkable, which gives it another likeable aspect. I also liked the instrumental. Simple, yet really melodic with the piano and percussion combination. It is the type of ballad that gets you swaying along, which if you know me, I am a very big fan of this.

Also shot in New Zealand, the accompanying music video focuses more on Mamamoo rather than the scenery. It’s marketed towards the MooMoos that have been supporting and following Mamamoo. And it is a nice video to watch with the song. You see the girls have fun while on their trip. It is a more down to Earth type video, completely different from their other music video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

Two months ago, Mamamoo released their single, Paint Me, promising great things to happen in 2018. Upholding their promise is the release of their latest mini-album, which is titled as Yellow Flower. The title track of this mini-album is Starry Night. Unexpectedly, the group also released a music video for another track on the album just before coming back with Starry Night and that will be reviewed at a later date.

Starry Night starts off with some guitar instrumentation which reminds me of Chanyeol & Punch’s highly successful OST track, Stay With Me. In both songs, this introduction really gives the song an intriguing factor, which makes me want to listen to more of it. Compared to their previous songs, it doesn’t really have that wow factor when it comes to their vocals. Instead, they have toned their powerhouse vocals down quite a bit, giving off a more sensual vibe to the song. And in place of their powerhouse vocals, the group went with a lot of texture in their voices (which is still worthwhile to listen to). I love Moonbyul’s raps in this song, which felt so fitting for the song. The main downfall to the track is its lack of energy. Mamamoo’s vocals don’t really push the song along and the instrumentation, despite it being nice and chill, doesn’t really have that momentum as well. There were moments (such as the constant thumping) that did give the song that epic vibe. But it just doesn’t last long enough to leave an impression on you. As a result, this would also have a flow-on effect on the memorability of the song as well.

From what I have read, the music video was shot in New Zealand, with some of the scenery recognisable in some other music videos. Once again, the sceneries are breathtaking and definitely an amazing sight. The cinematography is also quite good. But besides that, there really isn’t that much to the video. In addition, however, there was another track that did feature at the end for a few more beautiful shots and the credits of the video.

From what I can see, the choreography looks nice and seems to fit the song quite nicely. It fits the slowness of the track but there were some moves that were impactful in its own way (such as the 3:22 – 3:24 dance move). I also liked the flowy feel of the dance.

Song – 7/10
Music Video -7/10 
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

Despite still being in the first week of the year, we have already seen some amazing comebacks so far. Joining the growing list is Mamamoo with their new single, Paint Me. From what I can gather, this is just the start of what Mamamoo will be putting out this year. So if you are like me and barely made it through today’s song, I have major concerns for the year ahead. But nonetheless, let’s continue.

Paint Me is an amazing song. The very first second literally doesn’t hold back. Mamamoo’s vocals just come at you. Powerful yet beautiful. It is really intense and you barely know about it. I love how they go extra powerful during the first line of the chorus. It truly grabs your attention. The instrumental pace allows the song to become so flowy and melodic. It starts off with a piano and builds up to include a guitar and (I think) violins. It isn’t much but it is so damn impactful. But let’s return to the vocals for a second because there is a bigger elephant in the room that we have yet to address. Moonbyul put aside her rapping talents and allowed her vocals to shine. FINALLY. I have a soft spot for when these rappers sing in Korean. Their voices are so unique, it draws my attention. Here is a fantastic example of that and it just makes me love it even more.

And the music video is equally as beautiful. Each member looks stunning. I am not qualified in fashion in anyway or form, but each member looked like they are ready to walk the red carpet and receive some prestigious award. I love the boldness of the colours on the black and white. Even some of the other scenes where the light is shone brightly onto them from the back to the light strobes all about, they looked perfectly fine in all the scenes. It is a simple music video (when you think about it) but it works wonderfully.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10 

Mama~ Mama~ Moo~. Mamamoo is officially back with their latest mini album, Purple and title track Yes I Am. This is their first comeback since Decalcomanie, which was released back in November 2016. The group previously did release the music video for Aze Gag, an accompanying song featured on Purple.

Love the funkiness that is coming out from the song. It is quite upbeat and it definitely fits the Summer season quite nicely with its bright and quirky sound. Just listening to it for the first few times makes me want to dance. We know Mamamoo for their amazing vocal talents and they delivered with that talent in this song, while managing to incorporate a bright and fun sound. Moonbyul finally sings for once (even though it last for literally a second) and them high notes that Solar deliver sound spectacular. The post-chorus, Yes I Am, is quite catchy and addictive. All of that being said, the bridge changes up the song by incorporating a slow section, which did cut the flow of the song in my opinion. Not exactly fond of the bridge. While it is good on its own, it does sound like it would have fitted another song. But that is just my thought. Overall, Mamamoo brings out another song that will be loved by fans and myself.

Fitting the song is this music video. The bright and bold colours of the backgrounds match the bright and vibrant sounds in the song. What I love about Mamamoo is that they somehow manage to throw their quirky personalities in the music video and they genuinely looked like they had a blast filming this music video. The song is a message for all the ladies out there to be confident with themselves. And while I think the video could have done a somewhat better job at making that more apparent, their presence on the stage and in the video reflects that message quite nicely.

As mentioned previously, their stage presence fills the stage very nicely. I don’t think it is their best performance routine. I think Decalcomanie has that honour for the time being. But who knows, the performance may end up catching on for me. What should be noticed is that they managed to dance while singing live, displaying a great performance nonetheless.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[This review was written and scheduled a few months back in preparation for my absence in December. The standard posts for the end of the year (comebacks I have missed in November & December, the end of year charts + KPOPreviewed awards will be written and posted after my return. No weekly charts will be uploaded for the last week of November and all of December.]

Mamamoo returned with a pre-release single, New York back in September. It has definitely taken me a while to get around to reviewing it, but here I am. Mamamoo went on to include this track as part of their latest mini album, Memory, which contains the title track, Décalcomanie.

New York sounds pretty good. Don’t you love it when I start reviews off like that? No, but seriously, the song is quite catchy and the words “New York” do echo in your mind when you finish listening to the song. There was a very nice balance between all the elements in the song. Their vocals didn’t drown out the instrumental, nor did the instrumental overpower the vocals. There is a clash between multiple genres in this song. I can hear disco, funk, Jazz and a little pop… well… to make it pop. No, this doesn’t make the song bad, but rather interesting (but the first time listening to the song, it was confusing) to listen to. The vocals are quite nice (as I mentioned before – well balanced) and the rapping by Moonbyul was solid as well. The song overall, quite nicely. My only concern is that the song didn’t have that strong Mamamoo feel. Harmonising and loud (as some would say). It was something that I mentioned in the Décalcomanie review, but that song was still managed to sound quite strong. It is a track released prior to their main come back, so I can’t really bang on about who it feels distant from the artist’s usual style and you could even say that Mamamoo is trying to shine through a different style. I just miss that harmonising and backup vocals that sound amazing live.

The music video tells a story, but nothing that I would stick around to watch. But I forced myself to watch it in the end. Wheein has a crush on this guy, but the girls seem to persuade her to have some fun without him. So the girls set up this elaborate plan to pretend Wheein is in New York and the girls go out to have fun. In the end, the guy finds out that the girls were still in South Korea, eating at a food stand. The acting is quite off here. I have to admit it. It looks exaggerated and quite cringy at times. I am also glad that Solar’s hair is fake and that is it simply a wig. I had to give myself a moment when I first saw it. What I liked about the video: the connection between their live performance and the music video. It felt unique and different. It also added to the level of fun in the video, which was something that I also enjoyed as well.

The dance was a little weird, but watching it a few times, I felt like it was just perfect for the song. They promoted the song once or twice, which I don’t really understand why. The dance does look like it was slapped together within minutes (yes, I think dances are slapped together hahaha…), but it still ended up okay (I guess).

Rating – 6.5/10