Tag: Solar (Mamamoo)

Solar also made her comeback this past week with the title track HONEY and first mini-album, 容: Face. HONEY follows MAMAMOO’s main vocalist’s solo debut from two years ago, Spit It Out.

Like the other solo acts who returned last week, Solar’s return is also of the upbeat variety. This didn’t come as much surprise to me however, given the likes of Spit It Out. HONEY jumps out at me thanks to its dynamic house instrumental. In addition to this, HONEY also thrived on different textures. One segment was minimal, another was smooth, and then really heavy on the thumps. This, to me, made it appealing and striking to listen to. The brass following the chorus was a nice addition, adding a fun vibe to the song. Of course, Solar also plays a big part in making HONEY appealing. Aside from co-penning and co-producing song (obviously a big player in the existence of this song), Solar’s vocals were pretty neat throughout HONEY. I personally thought she did a good job of reflecting that dynamic nature and energy of HONEY through her mixed deliveries and vocal colours. Sure, it might not yet be the showcase of powerhouse vocals that I am sure many of us are waiting from Solar, but it worked well with the instrumental. The hooks and melodies we get helps make HONEY one of the catchiest and memorable songs from the past week, and they work extremely well in tandem with the instrumental. However, I am of the opinion that HONEY did not need rapping, however. The rap sequence in the second verse was probably the dullest segment of the song for me. But apart from that, HONEY was fun, likeable and one of my personal favourite releases of the week.

Another really great aspect of this comeback is the music video. The use of one colour for each shot made the video extremely visually appealing, striking and loud, just like the song. Solar’s visuals throughout the video was top notch, and her stylists put her in some really great outfits that really emphasis the colours that was the theme of the shot. Unfortunately, it isn’t an innovative idea. But Solar and the production team pulled it off, nonetheless.

For the performance, nothing really stood out on its own. But the entire routine was vibrant, which helped make the choreography worth watching. Listening to Solar sing live is always amazing, as well, given how stable she sounds on stage.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

Solar makes her first solo comeback with the release of Spit It Out, which is the title of both her solo comeback mini-album and title track. For those who do not know Solar is, she is one of the members of the talented female group Mamamoo. As the group has become very established in the industry for their amazing vocals and catchy hits, the first half of 2020 has been focused on the member’s solo promotion. Earlier this year, we saw the solo comeback of fellow member Moonbyul with Eclipse, which was an epic comeback. Let’s see if Solar can be epic in her own right with her solo comeback.

Right from the very first second, Spit It Out showcases its edge by a Latin guitar riff and a consistent deep thumping beat. Just launching in with this simple combination and you can tell that the song will be very appealing. The song sounds epic with bass, which is definitely putting my new headphones to good use and I highly recommend you listen to the song with some headphones to get that same epic feel. I do like how they do build on this for the chorus, but I also like how they do keep to this combination for the song. It does raise the concern of consistency and I have to admit that the song very linear, as a result. But there is a sense of refinement if you look on the flip side of this consistency issue, which is a positive in a way. Solar keeps to a husky tone in this song, which I thought was unique. It is very alluring this way and really helps you enjoy the song. Part of me is waiting for a solo release that has her letting her vocal talents loose, knowing that she has that ability to do so. But at the same time, I am glad she doesn’t do this in this song as it would be really cliche. I do have three favourite parts. The first is ‘Set A Fire Fire Fire‘, which acts as the memorable line of Spit It Out. The second has to be the grand feeling of the bridge. The third part has to be the final chorus, where that final chorus really helps makes the drop feel even more impactful and (repetitive term) epic.

The edginess in this video just from the first few seconds of the music video really shows. That whole routine with the feline claws look very intense. They look so sharp that if one move was ill timed, there would have been some blood. Moving aside from that disturbing thought, I thought the use of fluorescent colours was really nice. Combined that with the really ‘out there’ fashion choices (i.e. spaghetti dress, cat claws, rubber gloves) in this video, Solar really knows how to stand out. This actually goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics of the song, which is all about being yourself and not worrying about what other people. The most jaw dropping moment was her bald look. That is a step that I don’t think any female idol has gone for a concept, but I think it is definitely wonderful that she is going to such lengths to make that statement. It definitely serves its purpose and caught everyone’s attention.

I feel like the performance could have been taken a step towards that that wild side more. It seems like it is held back so Solar can put on a live performance with a microphone. There is definitely potential behind this choreography. There is a fair amount of stomping and fierceness mixed into it. And heck, those cat claws come out.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10