My all time favorite Lovelyz b-side and honestly? My backup 11! Those two prolapsed anuses…I guess it’s true when they say those you love are the ones that will hurt you the most!!! I hope you two have a diarrhea episode today @junglefish@Wills
The song that salvage Lovelyz's image a bit during their Queendom stint, Cameo sadly must leaves now. A promoted b-side from their second album R U Ready ?, Cameo is written and produced by the super underrated JYP-affiliate Shim Eunji along with The Kick Sound.
Since the beginning, Cameo catch the attention with its blaring synths. Pretty ironic considering the lyrics talking about being never noticed as a cameo by somebody you liked / loved / the main character, a reoccuring theme for Lovelyz's music that's ironically paralell to their real-life experience.
As a whole package, Cameo is thoroughly competent if I must say. The verse providing dynamics to the high-energy chorus and the stellar bridge is perfectly suited for theatrical performance they do in Queendom. Nevertheless, I've grown out of love with Cameo ? Not that I dislike it, but it lack the sparks that I felt when I heard it the first time.
Slice of Life agreed with that blaring synths as the main star : " The intro alone…….. wiggeroo!" while ysev is reminded by something ancient just like themselves : " This Mario cart serve!"RUNAWAY praise it : " This song is just hUGE <333333" with Wills following behind : "My score should be sung to the tune of the best part: EIGHT FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE" Now bestie I think you should've save this comment for something with 10 score.
sdlfjsadk codecat has losing 7 10s in a row ! Now it's Rapunzel turn to say goodbye. Rapunzel is an unique case, as it's written and produced by Lee Yoon-chae and Lee Jeong-pyo. As I do my research by clicking their wiki, I find out Lee Yoon-chae apparently work closely in SM Entertainment, particularly during 00s era such as for SHINee's Love Still Goes On and TVXQ's You Only Love.
With that repertoire, it's no wonder Rapunzel feels like a remnant from BoA heyday era. How Lovelyz could snatch this SM production is pretty curious case, but I suspect it was during the time Woollim briefly acquired by SM. Ah imagine they're still had the backing from SM, maybe Lovelyz could get bigger budget / promotion in their later years.
Anyway, onto the track itself, Rapunzel is massive bop. Sure it's semi dated, but hey that's the charm of it. From the opening guitar that sounds so 90s, to the manic new jack swing Max Martin beat, Rapunzel is a sweet homage to that era. Jiae's "This is a story of a girl named Rapunzel" line cracked me up nn, bestie we're already halfway to the song we don't need any introduction !
Now I lowkey regret my scores now nn. Let's move on to your comments on Rapunzel. RUNAWAY agree with my assessment : " this song has K-New Jack Swing vibes and serves excellence <3 Reminds me a lot of S.E.S Paradise." I think I'm Your Girl is closer to this one. ysev is living in Femme Fatale era : " Does anyone think global warming is a good thing? I love Rapoonchill. I think she’s a really interesting artist."Lovelyz is Britney, and you're Tinasha.
Hello this is @codecat speaking. @Wills has requested that I notify you that he will be taking a leave of absence from the forum, effective immediately. He regrets that he could not share this news with you directly, but asks that you respect his privacy by not checking up on him – please trust that he is 100% fine and in good health.
Also, he left this note for @junglefish: ṛ̸̢̢̨̧̛̹̠̟͎̦̣̬͈̲̙̮̬̗̤͔͚̝̣̯̹̦̤̞̪̫̩̥̩̭̹͍̪̜͉̟̺̜̙̪͇͇͇̯̋̿͊̂́̇͒͗̿̈́͛̕͘͝ų̷̢̭͉͇͈̯̯͔̠̦̭̙̬̮̣̓͗͐͌͒̀̀̈̓͆͌̎̂͌͗̈́̀̓̈́̈́͌͊̿̀̐̋̀̃́͂̀́͒̾̉̓̓͂́̕̕̚͜͠͝͝ͅn̶̨̨̢̢̡̠̱̙̳̙͕̯̲̼̹̥͚̥̝̱̠͇̙̦̣̯̜̯͉̼̣̦͕̹͈͕͔̻̲͈̩̊̚͜
This song. How could Mimyo Mimyo survives this far ? A b-side from Heal EP, Mimyo Mimyo / Bizzare is written and produced once again by the super underrated Shim Eunji along with The Kick Sound.
Sadly this is a dud in Shim Eunji's production catalogue nn. It's not a bad song, but to be at this position Mimyo Mimyo is out of depth. Opening with rocking guitar, Mimyo Mimyo soon turned into a weird concoction between pop-rock, electro-pop and strings. However, it doesn't turn out very well and all of the elements ended up inharmonious.
That's too much word salad, basically what I'm trying to say is I don't really enjoy Mimyo Mimyo nn. I'm an enjoyer of cute concept but the cute element in here is a bit too immature. The cute affectionate line in the chorus is annoying, making the chorus sounds unfinished. Mimyo Mimyo, along with Shining Star, cause a confusion what the hell they try to achieve in Heal EP. Aren't they maturing their sound ? So why are these tracks here ?
Slice of Life is me when I lie : " Deserves to be a single too omfg!!!! So good!!!" while ysev compare it to their contemporary : " This is very WJSN summer bop" Hmmm I could see this being slotted in For The Summer EP. Probably will be eliminated at 60-50 in WJSN rate tho.
Oh me oh my. We finally met 1cm, the micropenis anthem that some of you probably could relate or experience ! Just kidding, 1cm is a b-side from A New Trilogy EP, while Rphabet's Razer & Strike handle the writing and production.
I've complained about 1cm well enough in my Triangle commentary. Like Mimyo Mimyo, I find the elements of it doesn't mesh really well. This is Rphabet's first venture to Lovelyz after all, and it kinda shows. The synth works aren't clean and fined enough, causing some annoying synth they use stands out too much.
But that's maybe just a matter of preferences. Slice of Life on the other hand has stronger tolerance toward noisy synths than me : " That fucking intro sounding like a choir of farting medical machines during a complicated surgery ahshdhdjdjdjd I STAN!!!!!!" Ugh usually I love these noisy bubblegum pop elements like that but 1cm isn't giving what supposed to be give.
Let's give the last words to both our 11 givers. First Ana Raquel who has love at first listen : " wHOA WHOA WHOA WHoa WHOA whoa I didn't know this but honey what is this melody?????? I am OBSESSED." while Wills commend the track as a milestone in Lovelyz's career : "A bit surprised that this blossomed into my 11 over more obvious choices, but I was immediately charmed – the spunky chiptune instrumental is a perfect match for the sighing vocal delivery. That type of blend – sweet & delicate with synthetic & strange – was so central to Lovelyz’ work, and this is one of the dazzlingest examples."
You dragged Mimyo Mimyo straight into the earth's molten core, called my 11 a "micropeepee anthem," and then had the NERVE to tack this on at the bottom?
You dragged Mimyo Mimyo straight into the earth's molten core, called my 11 a "micropeepee anthem," and then had the NERVE to tack this on at the bottom?
You dragged Mimyo Mimyo straight into the earth's molten core, called my 11 a "micropeepee anthem," and then had the NERVE to tack this on at the bottom?
With a painful heart, I must eliminate my own 11, the last ballad standing Never, Secret. Never,Secret was written and produced by a part of 1Piece, musician Davink who also pen Temptation and Secret Story.
It's no secret that I love this song so much, even more than the last title track. In fact, I attribute Never, Secret as the actual goodbye, last hurrah to finally end the show.
And it kinda made sense. Never, Secret feels like a finer, more mature version of Goodnight Like Yesterday, the song that introduce Lovelyz into the world.
A bittersweet yet sparkling ballad, Never, Secret starts understated. It never constant, with every elements introduced smoothly. From the piano in the chorus, little guitar in pre-chorus, even an haunting train-passing / organ sound effects in the background. My favorite part in the instrumentals is of course the second verse, the arpeggiated modular (? please correct me nn) synth is so delicious.
But in paper, all of this feel like usual Lovelyz affair, or if you delve into his material this is pretty similar to Davink's own works. It was the girl's performances once again elevate the song.
I will never be tired on speaking Lovelyz's vocal capability. The emotive quality that many of them possess can be heard here. Every line they sung felt believable. Even if you don't understand what they're saying, the way they sang convinces you that they're heartbroken. At the wrong group, this won't has that magic.
Personally, this song has been one of my go-to song to become sadder even more when I feel sad, lonely or missing somebody. It's fascinating how Never, Secret able to translate a rush of emotion beyond language barrier.
When the bridge kicks in and Babysoul / Lee Sujeong belt her heart out, it's like an instant command for my tearduct to collapse apart. But to me the final climax is in the final chorus when Mijoo utters "neoneun mollayaman hae" along the haunting sounds coming like the heaven's gate itself open up to me. Ladies, I'm a wreck.
Sadly some of you (@ysev you whore) have negative comments and as a host I could do whatever I want and I don't want any of y'all comments ruin this weeping moment for me !
Another early 1Piece production, Joyland / Amusement Park sadly must depart today. It was promoted very heavily during alongside Hi~ and kinda gain attention at the time, especially the iconic Jiae's rap part of course.
At this point you are familiar with Lovelyz trope and Joyland stick to that trope firmly. Whimsical, bursting of synths and melancholic mood. Joyland is no different, though at that time it provides a great contrast to Hi~. While Hi~ are bouncy and taking classical strings influence, Joyland is more deliberate on 80 / 90s influences.
Like seriously, the synths in this are stellar. Ddd yes I love synths for mentioning it so many times. What I also love from Joyland is how it complements the lyrical theme, reminiscing the memories with your lover in merry-go-round. How cute and bittersweet is that. I remember a great fan-made animation illustrating the song's story that made me cry, but sadly it's been deleted I believe ugh.
Of course, the main star and the one part that South Korean paying attention is Jiae's rap part and I think I've covered it in Jiae's spotlight post nn. I will link @Slice of Life's husband Woodz aka Seungyeon imitating it. Be glad stan Twitter isn't strong yet at that time or Woodz would getting cancelled like that boy from Mirae.
Also is it too delusional to say Jiae (& Jisoo) has inspired future companies to recruit trainee with interesting, crunchy voices like them ? Like I can't imagine Loona's Gowon or Billlie's Tsuki would be here without Jiae's influence. The door that Lovelyz has opened <3
RUNAWAY love it but only give it a 9 : " Pure bop!" while ysev, the 10 giver amaze humans could reach this high-intelligence point : " They were on crack when they recorded this"
Tomorrow or Sunday we will eliminate 2 tracks before Top 20. Any guesses ? Any song you wish to lose now ?
There's this scene in one of the early Lovelyz Diary episodes where their vocal director asks Jiae what her role on the team is and she says "atmosphere." That's always stuck with me. She's not the strongest singer, but when they use her voice like this she absolutely takes the song someplace else.
I’m kinda gagged Dream In A Dream is still in! I’m happy of course as it’s kinda one of the best Kpop songs ever, but I expected it to leave around #30.
Another quirky and random gyal has fallen today and it's How To Be A Pretty Girl, a song that is dedicated to some of you ugly folks. How To Be... is written and produced by indie electronica producer Humming Urban Stereo.
How To Be A Pretty Girl is very much Humming Urban Stereo creation. Every elements from his usual antics are here : The usage of samples, lowkey jazz feel, odd synths and sound effects being added in unhealthy amount of dose, preferences on using childish vocals to mask / add contrasting effect on the lyrics.
And I love every moment of it. It makes me wonder why they stop working with Humming Urban Stereo, because HUS musical sounds seems like a match to Lovelyz's unique cutesy approach. Sure, just based on the live performance of How To Be A Pretty Girl, their song is very awkward to perform in mainstream setting. But it could be a cute b-side here and there, you know ?
The only comment come from RUNAWAY, who I believe is big enjoyer of K-indie music : " This song gives me K-DISCO vibes and I’m LIVING for it." Oh definitely. This won't be out of place in the brief revival K-indietronica era circa 2014-2016, when HUS, Neon Bunny, Spazzkid and Lim Kim pre-bad music era are still active.
Please check out Humming Urban Stereo if you like this. It's pretty great !
Damn that's a lot of 10. Shining★Star, the closer of Heal EP, will sadly must miss Top 20 by a small margin. It was written and produced by Twinkle producer, 1Take , TAK & Arran.
Out of so many songs international fans like to accuse as "so Japanese ! >.<" , Shining★Star is probably the most Japanese of it all nn. Like, this is literally an anime opening, probably for some magical girl anime or K-on type of shit. I don't know I'm not a weeb.
I understand the appeal, but to me this is too much nn. It's too fast and rushed that doesn't leave any room to breathe. It's not a problem in itself, after all I'm stanning Gfriend's Tarot Cards who also does this super high BPM sounds. But maybe it's the too much sugary and cutesy affectation that makes me not liking it as much like y'all. Maybe @codecat is right, I'm a fake cute concept enjoyer.
My instance toward Shining★Star is accurately portrayed by Wills : "Listened to this 2000 times and still don't know if I like it any, given another month this could've landed anywhere from a 5 to an 11" Yep, it's highly depends on my mood to listen this high sugary stuff.
The rest of you praise it, like ysev who said : " They just do ‘zany’ like nobody else!" and RUNAWAY : " icon! This feels like it interpolates Twinkle in places, and I love it. Also kind of gives me DKDK vibes. <3" Well the producer is the same, so there is possibility some elements are re-used.
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And here are our Top 20 bestie. It's closer and closer to the top, none of the singles are safe now.
Girls’ Invasion / Hi~
Candy Jelly Love
Getaway
Welcome to the Lovelyz8
Ah-Choo
Lovelinus
For You
A New Trilogy
Destiny
Heart (Handle With Care)
R U Ready ? / Now, We
WoW!
Now, We
Fall In Lovelyz
Twinkle
Heal
That Day
Temptation
Sanctuary
Lost n Found
Like U
Daydream
Once Upon A Time
Beautiful Days (When We Were Us)
Close To You
Unforgettable
Obliviate
Dream In A Dream
Memories
Extras
Tiger Eyes (Sujeong Solo)
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Tiger Eyes still holding on for dear life, Unforgettable and Sanctuary still housing 2 b-sides. Do you agree ? Do you disagree ? Pleek comment what song do you wish eliminated quickly. PLEEK POST SOMETHING.
Either Candy Jelly Love or Ah-Choo can leave to make up for Shining★Star's shameful exit. The latter was a standout from day one. I totally get how it can be overwhelming to the ears, but that's the exact reason it became one of my faves! It brings me back to the days when my early teenage self discovered J-Pop and would be left confused by the frenetic nature of the songs and the music videos. I'll be the first to admit I can't listen to it many times in a row, but I love how much of a serotonin boost it is!
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