AOA Return With ‘Like a Cat,’ Are Now Kind Of Boring

AOA are back with a new single called “Like a Cat,” and I’m pleased to report that it’s way better than Hello Venus’ “Sticky Sticky.” Unfortunately, it’s not as good as the mind-blowing “Miniskirt,” which is what you’d hope for now that?AOA have collaborated with Brave Brothers for the third consecutive time this year.

In Brave’s defence, “Like a Cat” isn’t?nearly as lazy as it could’ve been. He opens it with some nice dancehall sirens before Korea’s?new Queen of Rap?Jimin launches into the best spoken-word intro ever (“Hey! No matter where you go, the pretty girls are AOA! You know, I’m good, I’m hot, I’m fresh, I’m fly!“).

The production hits pretty hard, and it’s always fun to listen to Brave’s music closely to pinpoint all the new sounds and instruments he’s added to freshen up?his tried-and-tested formula. Also, AOA are at an advantage to some other girl groups thanks to Jimin, whose squeaky rapid-fire rap breaks sound remarkably distinctive?in an industry where all idol rappers tend to sound identical.

So yes, “Like a Cat” is a decent enough song, but it’s not the song that’s the problem ? it’s everything else.

The cat?burglar?concept AOA adopted?for this comeback sounds good on paper, but in reality it’s nowhere near as amazing?as you’d expect it to be. Their old choreography was better, and the official MV?is centred around a cliched bank heist, which at this point has been done to death both in the east and?in the west. SECRET did the?robbery concept to?perfection in “Poison,” and their video wasn’t stuffed full of shameless product placement like AOA’s.

How many times do we need to hear AOA doing a Brave Brothers song that’s just a worse?version of “Miniskirt”? How many times will they sing the same lyrics about how hot they are because they’re wearing a short skirt/have short hair/are sexy like a cat? How many times do we need to see them get in a conga line and wiggle their butts at the camera? It’s just the same thing over and over again.

I understood why they repeated the “Miniskirt” formula with “Short Hair,” but this is the third time now, and it’s starting to get boring.?At least bring back the band unit for a break?between the sexy Brave Brothers’?comebacks so we can get some variety.

Girl’s Day have repeated the sexy concept, but all their songs sound different. A Pink repeat their innocent concept, but their songs get better with every comeback. AOA a.k.a. Zzz peaked in January and everything since has been a less good version of what came before.

On a positive note, at least it’s better than that fucking Meaghan Trainor leftover that?Lee Hi and AkMu girl put out today.

Also, I’m totally addicted to AOA’s b-side “Girl’s Heart” and?I think it has a better chorus than “Like a Cat.” I can’t stop playing it!

#AOA

Tags: AOA, K-pop

Categorised in: East

This post was written by Jacques

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GOT7 Return With ‘Stop Stop It,’ Remain Better Than WIENER and EXcrementO

JYP idols are easy to like, so it wasn’t hard for me to stan for GOT7 even though their debut single “Girls Girls Girls” was one of the worst songs of the year. Thankfully they quickly followed it up with one of the?BEST?songs of the year, “A,” which not only validated my love for them, but also proved that it’s impossible for any song called “A” to be bad.

Just like “A,” GOT7 are back to balancing bubblegum pop and hip-hop on their new single, “Stop Stop It.” Walking this fine line is the group’s strength, and it gives them a very identifiable, youthful sound that recalls the vibe of early-2000s boy bands without being a blatant retread of the genre.

Along with their young sound come?typically teen-targeted?lyrics, like the ones in “Stop Stop It” that so perfectly?tap into?blossoming adolescent?sexuality.

“Stop it stop stop stop stop it /?When I feel your touch it triggers the alarm,” they sing on the chorus, their voices swathed in Daft Punk-ish autotune. “Whenever we talk you slightly hold me by the arm /?I want to turn around and hug you tight.”

I know a few members that could hug me tight… *cough* Jackson *cough*?

The styling in the song’s official music video is a modernized version of the baggy Tommy Hilfiger hip-hop garb that was so big in the ’90s and the fashion of turn-of-the-millennium Korean boy bands like H.O.T.?Just like their music, GOT7’s?style pays homage to a?past time in pop music without just lazily rehashing it completely. I can’t think of any outfits I liked?more in a boy band video this year than GOT7’s overalls. (Probably because I was trying to buy?leather overalls online about a week ago, then backed out when I saw that they cost over a grand.)

It helps GOT7’s likeability that they’re one of the best-looking boy bands around?right now, but even without the good looks, they’d still be better than their rivals.?Like most YG artists, Wiener are?infuriatingly safe and mainstream in the worst way possible, and the robots from?EXcrementO will never be interesting?to me no matter how many amazing?songs they release (and they’ve had a few).

#TeamGOT7 #TeamLOVELYZ #DisbandWiener #DisbandYGSNSD #StopEXO #TVXQStillDaBest #ShiningSHINee

Tags: got7, K-pop

Categorised in: East, Reviews, Shade

This post was written by Jacques

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