Tag: NATURE

Making their comeback today is NATURE. For those who may not know or remember the group, NATURE is a female group under n.CH Entertainment and the voice behind innocent cutesy tracks such as Allegro Cantabile and I’m So Pretty, and very upbeat bright tracks such as Oopsie (My Bad) and Some (You’ll Be Mine). For the group’s first comeback of 2020, they returned with a complete mature sound change up through the title track, Girls. The group also has a 6 member lineup, but will only be promoting with 6 members only due to various reasons.

As mentioned above, NATURE turns a complete 180 degree with this mature sound. Girls is a change up that I personally did not see coming. And while I do enjoy a change up every now and then, I fear this has taken a once different female group who is willing to standout with crazy instrumentals and catchy hooks and turned them into a generic sounding female group. I just didn’t find the dance track to really have those moments that Oopsie and Some had. I am not really looking for anything unique as well, rather something to catch my attention and give me a reason dig into the track more. It unfortunately didn’t and this disappoints me. That being said, Girls has some good moments as well. Not great enough to resolve the generic issue I just discussed, but good enough to make this song an occasion listen. The pre-chorus build up was quite nice, especially with the member that started off low and built her vocals up. I also dig the bridge of the song, which felt bold and brings something that cuts the generic nature of the song to a degree. It is like a textural autotune is applied to the main member, before the rest of the members echoes in a softened shouting manner. Apart from that, everything just fell into place and that typical category for me.

Given the mature sound, it was expected that their visuals change for this comeback as well. And the music video is does exactly that. There was an article a few days back that the music video was considered a little too graphic for broadcast and wonder how far they took the video to have that warning slapped on it. And it isn’t because the members were sexualised or showing off too much skin. Rather, the warning was in concern for some of the dark and suspenseful imagery. One member was hold a pair of scissors over another’s head with the top facing directly between the eyes in one of the teasers. Teddy bears were gutted and a flying axe closed up the music video with what seemed to be a a scream like synth. There might be a story line somewhere. My guess is that the other members are ghosts and that they are there to drive the member with the long black wavy hair insane and eventually kills her to be one of them. Altogether, it makes the video very intriguing and I quite like that idea.

For the most part, the choreography was a bore to watch. That being said, the post-chorus hook that featured after the first and final chorus really helped bring some edge, which helped make the performance go from boring to slightly exciting. Same thing can be said about that bridge, which brought a little more dynamism to the performance.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

NATURE has returned once again with the release of Oopsie (My Bad). The group previously returned with I’m So Pretty in June of this year. Since then, the group has undergone a number of changes to their lineup. Gaga left the group in October to focus on her studies and Kim So Hee (known for being part for C.I.V.A and I.B.I; as) joined the group on the same day. Aurora will also sit out of this comeback due to a conflict of schedules. So through this review, let’s see how the new yet experienced addition to NATURE fairs.

Given NATURE’s past songs, Oopsie (My Bad) might be a fitting title for their discography. But at the same time, it gives off a really childish first impression to the song. But that childish impression doesn’t stay for long. Oopsie is rather bold with its execution, with the verses pretty much shouting right at you. The chorus, which I find to be very addictive now that I have given the song a few runs, follows that same vibe and works incredibly well. NATURE manages to infuse some sort of fun into the mix and they just don’t compromise in any way. I do think their singing and ‘rapping’ isn’t their best. But the bold direction and instrumental really makes this a stand out track. However, I can imagine people being dissatisfied with the song.  And I completely understand that. The shouting in the verses is probably obnoxious to many. It was the first time I heard it. But a few more runs of Oopsie showed how much fun the song could be, which is a common thread in NATURE’s songs. What I am trying to get there (besides showing my opinion) is that the song was ‘out there’ but also consistent with their prior work.

A common fairytale story that a number of KPOP music videos have tackled is Alice In Wonderland. And it seems like this music video is another addition to the lineup and I am really getting bored of it. This one doesn’t have a rabbit. Instead, it seems like the girls accidentally drink a potion. But instead of growing small to fit through the small door, the girls are supersized and find themselves stuck in a dollhouse. Other than that, I couldn’t find another mistake for them to go ‘Oopsie’ over. It is also another colourful video, fitting for their known style.

Something I wished the performance did incorporate was some energy into the dance. I think the chorus was begging for it. But they ended going with something over energy and I felt the momentum that the song channelled was drained as a result. Unfortunately, this comment stayed relevant throughout the performance.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

Interestingly, the season which we all associate upbeat and energetic tracks with has been fairly quiet, especially in the last few weeks. But based on the dates that I have recorded down, it seems like things are going to get busy in the coming weeks and I think today’s date kicks things off. The first release that I will be looking at today is NATURE’s latest track, I’m So Pretty. This is the group’s first comeback Dream About U, which was released at the start of the year.

I’m So Pretty attempts to push itself into our playlists with a very typical girl group sound and flair. But it doesn’t get them far. I just think after the craziness of SOME (You’ll Be Mine), Nature has some bold shoes to fill. They ended up with a very tone down release at the start of the year that just felt inferior to SOME. So, it is nice to hear them pump some definition and boldness to this comeback track. But it falls short. I’m So Pretty takes that same sound that SOME had but puts it through an ordinary filter, resulting in an underwhelming pop track. I also thought the track was underwhelming due to the lack of catchy hooks. The hooks that the song opted for just didn’t really appeal to my personal tastes. Don’t worry, there were some good moments in this track as well. The display of vocals during the pre-chorus, the accents we heard at the end of each line in the post-chorus hook and the bridge as a whole overall were aspects that stood out at me. But sadly, they weren’t enough to dispel my initial comments.

This music video proves once again that Summer is the season of colour. It is a very colourful video, using a combination of bold and pastel colours to really showcase the group’s youthful and fun sides. There might be a small plotline, with the girls growing foxtails in the video. A quick Google search shows that a fox (which I assume the foxtails are a hint for) represents a number of characteristics, which I am assuming relate to the title of the song (Note that I have yet to find any English translation for the track yet and this is merely just an assumption for now).

The choreography for this comeback is quite nice. Once again, it doesn’t have much uniqueness to it. But there were moments that looked good and fun. I particularly like the ending of the bridge. I thought that looked cool.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10 
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

NATURE kicks off their 2019 year with the release of a brand new single and concept, Dream About U. This follows the group’s debut with Allegro Cantabile and SOME (You’ll Be Mine) from last year. Unfortunately, this is a late review as the song was released over a week ago. In other news, NATURE was nominated in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards for Best New Female Group. To see if they won and see who else won, click here.

To me, Dream About U is a step in the wrong direction. It isn’t a terrible song, so don’t get me wrong. However, both their debut track and SOME were slightly unique, so I don’t really get the idea of going with a very typical sound for a girl group. The entire song features this cutesy vibe, which I do think fits NATURE very well. But since the song itself conforms to that standard cutesy sound that most girl groups attempt some point in their careers, I just simply pass over this song. If they did it in a way that was rather unique and different, like their previous two title tracks, I think the song would have been better. But let’s finish up on some positives. Vocals are really nice in this song, showcasing their capabilities. The instrumental was actually quite nice, with the violins. And together, these two elements to create a very bubbly atmosphere.

It would be unfair to say the exact same thing about their music video but my feelings are basically on the same line. However, I thought the music video was rather fitting for the song. The cutesy concept is definitely a change from their SOME concept, which I thought was rather nice and refreshing.

Likewise with the choreography. Like the song, the performance was pretty much passable. I wasn’t too keen on their wands that they were holding. It felt cheesy but fitted well into their cutesy concept.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 5.8/10

NATURE is back with a brand new song, titled SOME (You’ll Be Mine)! For those who do not know NATURE, they are a relatively new group who debuted with Allegro Cantabile back in August. They were meant to debut with 9 members, however, one member left just before they debuted (she did not participate in promotions but was still featured n the music video). With this comeback, the number of members is bumped back up to 9 with the addition of Loha.

If you were looking for a song similar to Allegro Cantabile, you have come to the wrong place. But if you came for something a little more out there, you may stay and have a listen. SOME start off a standard KPOP track, bright and bubbly. But the chorus is a little different, going with seems to be an addictive EDM drop that I am digging a fair bit. It attracts attention and hypes up the atmosphere. It caught me off guard but I really did enjoy the chorus. I thought the pre-chorus section was amazing, which I thought was a great limbo between the bright start and the dramatic change for the chorus. The rapping to the song was awesome, fitting in extremely nicely. And I thought the vocal work was showcased well, where both the vocals and the raps draw you in. The bridge slows it down but I didn’t mind it too much as the buildup back to the chorus was awesome. Overall, it is another great song for this week.

The first thing that jumped right at me was the colours. I thought it was extremely bold and very bright, which definitely matches the atmosphere of the song. It does fall under the category of a typical music video but it is the atmosphere of it that makes this a great watch. The classroom set reminded me of a combination of TWICE’s One More Time colour palette, while the classroom reminded me of TWICE’s Signal. I am not trying to suggest that they copied but rather point out an observation I made. I feel like with the song’s drop and the dance moves, they could have been more out-there. For example, funny costumes would have been fun in this video.

I think the main focus of this comeback is the dance. Once again, I am reminded of another group’s performance. If you cast your mind to Momoland’s Wonderful Love choreography for EDM remix, I think this would be the equivalent to that. And once again, the choreography during the chorus lived up to the song’s crazy drop, atmosphere and expectations.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

From what I can tell, there aren’t that many groups making their comeback this week due to the Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival) However, this does not mean I get to take the week off. I henceforth declare this week as ROOKIE WEEK. I will be posting at least one review for a different rookie group each day, so keep your eyes opened!

NATURE is the next band on ROOKIE WEEK. They made their debut at the start of last month with Allegro Cantabile. The group is currently under n.CH Entertainment and consist of 8 members (Lu, Saebeom, Aurora, Chaebin, Gaga, Haru, Uchae and Sunshine).  Originally there were 9 members, however, the 9th member (Yeolmae) left the group just before debuting. The group recently won their first award, the ‘New Artist of the Year’ award at the Soribada Best K-Music Awards, so congratulations to them!

Allegro Cantabile is actually a remake of a song of the same name which featured as part of an anime (Nodame Cantabile) and was previously sung by  Suemitsu & the Suemith. I usually do not review remakes or covers of a song, however, I only knew of this while searching up the information for this review. The song twos are obviously similar but Nature’s version seems to have a few components reduced in volume or stripped away to fit their youthful vocals. I actually thought the vocals were quite nice, taking the Japanese style for their own. It makes the song unique, in my opinion. The piano doesn’t seem to be as strong in this song, as it featured only during the verses but drowned out during the chorus. There were some extra synths in the instrumental break, which I thought makes it feel modern and fitting for KPOP. Though, I was thinking how good some electric guitar would have been (though the girls seem to go in that direction for a few seconds). Overall, I felt the song to be quite strong for a debut and I think this song will fast become a guilty pleasure for me.

The music video is not a remake of the Japanese version. While the original one was edgy, Nature’s version takes the cute route, which is surprisingly very fitting for the song (though I attribute that to their modifications). The majority of the video seems to be set at a school, where some of them are learning about flowers (and how to grow them). It was a nice video to watch despite it taking a cliche route for a female group debut. I didn’t care much for the plot but I was happy to watch either way.  The colours were very bright, which goes back to the song and concept.

I love their enthusiasm on the stage. I have watched a number of their performances for this review and I can’t help but smile at how cute but energetic they get on stage. I really like the dance break and how they let three members come out and have a solo moment. Also, the ending was quite cool with the suspenseful conclusion of the song. I just felt like the end could have been a little more imaginative.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10