Tag: PRISTIN

After their debut, Pristin has returned with their brand new song, We Like and mini album, SCHXXL OUT. Wee Woo, their debut song, managed to put them onto the KPOP rookie map for 2017. Given their performance so far, it is likely that the group has their eyes set on a few Rookie of the Year awards.

We Like is a pretty good song. From the very start of the song, the girls launch into their major hook. The ‘du du du du’ was undeniably catchy and constantly replayed in my head. Just the first second in and I could tell that this song is going places. The first verse down was the only let down of the entire song, with the rest of the song more enjoyable. I found the first verse to be quite dry and disappointing. It wasn’t until they launched back into their catchy chorus that I felt more at ease. Both the vocals and raps of the song were pretty good. The instrumental was a little smothered by the vocals (i.e. I couldn’t hear it that well) but the combination of the vocals and instrumental made it into a song that hypes you up. The tune was familiar but I don’t remember exactly where I have heard it before. Overall, it is a fun song that I liked a lot. Pristin has managed to do an amazing job with We Like.

The song grabs your attention with its sound. The music video did live up to that same standard. The girls went on a rampage, taking over a department store after hours. I liked the sets as the colours were quite bold. The flashing lights in the choreography scenes during the chorus was perfect. It’s the small details that make me happy when I look at these videos. I felt the crime board ending felt overdone in the sphere of KPOP but their cute twist seemed nice. The security guard is probably by far the worst one I have ever seen, but I guess since he did catch them (despite them giving up on running away) in the end.

The choreography didn’t seem that spectacular. Like they could have gone all out and had something that fits the intensity. But they mixed it with their cute side, which was okay. But it didn’t fit the energy and hype that the song had.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

PRISTIN is the newest addition to the industry. The 10-member girl group comes from Pledis Entertainment, which currently houses After School, NU’EST and Seventeen. They were formed last year under the name of Pledis Girlz and have only just officially debuted this year. Some of the girls participated in Produce 101, with Nayoung and Kyulkyung performing as part of I.O.I until their disbandment earlier this year. The other members includes Roa, Yuha, Eunwoo, Rena, Yehana, Sungyeon, Xiyeon and Kyla.

Wee Woo is a very relaxed track, and the girls bring a different energy to it.  It definitely has a unique sound. The song starts off pretty bland, but that buildup when a rap sequence randomly appeared, followed by some pretty good vocals, was actually pretty impressive. The chorus was probably the best part of the song, but it needed a better drop. The buildup was so good, but the chorus just left the buildup hanging there. The chorus had a nice catchy vibe to it, giving the song more energy. The brass in the disco influenced instrumental also stood out for me. The song was overall quite cool and chilled. Usually, girl groups go all out with their cute sounds, but PRISTIN did an excellent job at holding it back and at the same time, gave themselves a sound rarely heard of (if not unique) in KPOP. And I personally think the track sounds good because of it. But there is the other side of the song, where I am just disappointed by it.  The verses could have been a lot better. While I could describe the rest of the song with ‘having colour’, the verses seemed to be very grey and dull. Same could be said about the bridge as well. Some of the members sounded quite good, while some of the members just didn’t sound good enough. Overall, I am torn about the song. There is potential for the song, but it needs some sort of improvement. It is a solid song for a debut. It does put them on the map, but it needs to be followed up with a really addictive song.

The music video goes for a bright and fun concept. The girls are students at a school, and they have random encounters with a force (assumed to be the guy they are singing about). While the individual scenes look cool, I don’t really see a storyline within them. Nor is there a connection between the song and the video. But it is still interesting to watch. Water and soft drink explosions; flying cards; levitating hair etc. are just some of the weird and wacky experiences. But what I like more are some of the group scenes. I love the “Wee Woo” part after the first chorus, where a few members at a time, slide into the frame and pose for the camera. It actually looked cool and probably was the most memorable part of the video. Overall, great video.

The dance routine for this song didn’t receive that much attention from me. When I did watch the performance, I just simply stared at them. They are all very pretty. But the dancing just didn’t appeal to me. Probably the most memorable part was the ending of the song, where they look like they are about to pass out or avoid some sort of glare (assumed to be the guy they are singing about). (I know, my descriptions are sometimes shocking. I have no other way to explain the dance move above).

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10