Oh boy I've abandoned this rate for so long nn, here's an appetizer.
The most popular and well-known Lovelyz member, Mijoo rise to stardom is amazing to see. Since beginning, Mijoo always stands out from the rest due to her unique and more mature visual. Constructed by the company to have mysterious and cool image, Mijoo in her early days are rarely given spotlight especially with her variety skills.
But miss thing didn't give up. All she had was a dream and her lack of shame and voila! A star is born. When Lovelyz begin appearing in variety shows, Mijoo shines and probably the only member with good understanding on comedic timing nn. I think we can all agree the main thing that tip the luck on Mijoo's side is when she making poses on the way to music shows. Suddenly she's the it girl, both in SK and the gay community constantly being referenced and used as a gif.
And look at her now ! Signed to Antenna with direct coaching under national (daddy) clown Yoo Jae-suk, regular cast in popular TV shows, modelling ads. She's living her best life ! A positive net income, something most Lovelyz members can't relate dddddd.
Mijoo is a rarity case of having personality could be a viable ample to idol's career, which sadly kinda lacks on newer idols these days. Most idols are boring nowadays, stop being polite ! Go crazy, make a rude jokes to older comedians !
Anyways Mijoo isn't a one trick pony, as she has showcased her dancing skills in Hit The Stage. As for her vocals, well I must say she has my least favorite vocal tone in Lovelyz nn. Her vocal tone sounds like if the girl that is tone deaf suddenly can sing but retain their original tone if that makes any sense.
Enough about the negativity, let's enjoy her performance in Hit The Stage !
I promise you an elimination tonight, pls wait xoxo
The Extra section completely leaves the rate as its only survivor Tiger Eyes is eliminated tonight. The lead single and from miss Sujeong's debut, Tiger Eyes saw Woollim working deeply with Western producers as it's written by Mayu Wakisaka, Phil Schwan and Sean Michael Alexander with Phil Schwan also handling the production.
I'm gonna be honest, miss Sujeong may be my favorite Lovelyz member, but I don't like Tiger Eyes that much ff forgive me unnies ! It's all come down to preference, because as a whole Tiger Eyes is competent pop song. The production is minimal yet feels full, the vocals are immaculate, the sensual mood is right.
However, Tiger Eyes take a soundscape that I've grown tired of now : the anti-drop / gallopping bass that Billie Eillish awaken through bad guy. I don't like it here, I don't really like it in IVE's Love Dive too. I don't know, maybe because bad guy is so overplayed and overmemed in Youtube that cause it stale so quickly to me.
Let's talk about the MV tho. Miss Sujeong is servingggg, she's an artist that's what her field is. She can deliver you camp, cute schoolgirl, bad bitch, sensual woman. She's every woman, it's all in her ! One thing I'm gonna criticize is the tiger print outfit. Yes I know I know, there is a "tiger" theme based on the song, but animal print will always look tacky. Not even Sujeong's beauty could save it sadly ugh.
Now the villain of Tiger Eyes downfall isn't me, but direct your anger to Slice of Life instead : " This is honestly a 10 but I’m giving this a low-ish score because I don’t want a solo song winning the rate keke (I know this has a decent chance of winning so I’m gonna try my best to not let that happen ffffffff)" while Wills said : "Thank goodness for rates, I’d never have had the attention span for this otherwise. Beautiful!" Just say a grower sweetheart !
An e-one produced track will be eliminated next. Make a prediction babes !
The first e.one - Lovelyz track to be eliminated is none other than Memories from Unforgettable EP. All of their tracks in high ranking is a testament on how masterful e.one production team is and how this forum will stan them till the end of time nn.
What I love about e.one's work with Lovelyz is they provides more straightforward and robust melodies with them, compared to their works with WJSN where the melody is irregular, twisted in every turn. With this approach, Lovelyz could deliver their strength, providing emotion and sentimentality to the melodies.
Memories also saw e.one experimenting from their standard disco-pop formula by utilizing reggae-inspired sound for the verses, recalling classic like Wonder Girls's Why So Lonely or Choa's Don't Be Shy. e.one showcase their musical abilty by twisting it into giant disco banger in the chorus seamlessly. The result is a great familiar yet unique disco e.one banger with a strong hint of bittersweetness.
And of course, many of you also agree with the genius of this track. ysev comments : " This! This right here! This shouldn’t work but it does. FFFF" That's the magic of e.one for ya babe ! Slice of Life is an island gyal : " The light reggae vibes???????? A winner!" while RUNAWAY compare it to a reggae legend ffffff : " their Bob Marley serve!" Yup yup he would be proud !
Another proper group single will be eliminated soon !
ff the amount of 10s ! Unforgettable lost its title track Obliviate, leaving Dream In A Dream as the last survivor. It also the first song in this rate to reach 9 average, congrats ! Obliviate was written and produced by YummyTone and Stardust.
Obliviate is remarkably polarizing, not because it's experimental or jarring but because it deviates so much from Lovelyz's sound. Lovelyz and the management was walking at thin line at that point, should they cater to their shrinking yet hardcore fanbase ? Or should they gamble by trying new sound to attract new fans ? It's a dilemma that many groups face from Apink to Dreamcatcher.
However, Obliviate isn't the right song to pull that trick. By 2020, the house-inspired sound was already done and experimented by many other artists that when Obliviate comes, it's already tired. If I could make a comparison, Obliviate is the poor man of WJSN's fantastical masterpiece Pantomime. That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying Obliviate, I do like it but it's not really what I expect from Lovelyz.
The production itself isn't very well done. The house synths are generic and all of it feels very generically structured. Sure there is a key change in the last chorus, but it all feels very late to excite me.
Now about the MV, I hate it fff oh Jesus I hate it so much ! Fuck off Zanybros mackeff ! Everything looks tacky, lack of lights, unfocused and blurry. It's like watching a music video from 2013-2014, feels very dated and tired. Can't Woollim just go back to Digipedi ? I mean Stellar with its Makestar's budget could do something with Sting and Vibrato.
Let's see what you all say about this, first from the positive side is Slice of Life : " Sorry to the antis but I unabashedly stan this fffffffff! Woollim really should’ve let Lovelyz experiment with their sound earlier in their career. But oh well!" The last point is true, but with a better song perhaps ? RUNAWAY is proud of this being their last single : " god I still can’t believe this was their disbandment song. What a bop to go out on though.".
Remorque sadly doesn't give any commentary to their 11, let's leave the last spot to negativity nn. Both of Prolapsed Anus have something to say ! Wills reject and condemn : "#NotMyLovelyz" while the puritan FunkyButChic declares :" This felt reductive at the time and it feels even more reductive knowing it might be their last title track ever." Oh boy. Like Slice of Life has said, if only they experiment earlier, Obliviate would be better received but now it's all too late.
Definitely didn’t expect this to be in the top 20 AT ALL so I’m just happy it didn’t flop FFFFFFFFFF!! And a 9.00+ average? Come awn, misunderstood masterpiece!!
One of the many many many good things about the Lovelyz rate being a cute close-knit fan affair rather than... having too many locals participate, is that we managed to keep Obliviate away from the top 10. I always liked it and think it's a very solid tune but man... it just pales in comparison to all of their other singles.
Lovelyanus, we did it!
I’m kinda surprised I gave it a 10 because it’s not a song I really go back to often… Definitely the right time for it to leave! Actually could have left a couple spots ago and it would have been fine. It’s not a bad song by any means but ya know.
What you lookin' at? What you, what you lookin' at?
What you lookin' at? What you, what you lookin' at?
What you lookin' at? What you, what you lookin' at?
Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm, I'm fearless, huh
Aah this shibuya kei-inspired bop, I'm pleasantly surprised Getaway maintain their stay in Top 20 throughout the rate. Getaway (or could be translated as Secret Journey) is written and produced by OnePiece with additional help from East4A and Enne.
If any of you is an old K-pop hag like me, you may know or heard Sweet Witches from f(x). Well, Getaway is pretty similar to Sweet Witches through my untrained ears. However, Getaway take the Sweet Witches's quirky shibuya-kei inspired take and elevate it to next level.
Getaway break the monotonous melody of Sweet Witches by providing abundant memorable melodies both in verses and chorus. The instrumentals are delicious and fun, combining funky bassline and carefully crafted electronic flourishes. So basically another brilliance and masterclass from OnePiece *chef kiss*. Ugh if only they could stay as production team and continue their work a la Monotree.
Unlike Wills with his rotten taste lately, these two users understood the assignment. ysev praise the artistry : " This is one of the finest examples of their signature sound. It’s sweet but also menacing. Creepy and cute!" Eggsactly ! The girls who get it, get it !
And the final praise come from my sister Crisp X : " Okay this was my initial 11, but I hammered it so much back when I got a car and let it become a playlist staple that I almost got sick of it nn. This is such an unique song, and not only for Lovelyz. It’s jazzy and even borders on shibuya-kei, which is why it's reminiscent of some of my J-Pop/J-Rock faves. It sounds quirky and weird but still contains elements that add a dark undertone to the full package. I mean, the “My lies” chipmunk chants sound creepy, but they work so well fff. It’s kinda an oddity in their discography, which may be part of the reason it became an early favorite of mine." Precisely put together, you explain it better than myself bestie. I'm glad somebody also catch the shibuya-kei references, I'm not the only old Asian-pop hag thank God.
Girls' Invasion become the first album to completely eliminated as Candy Jelly Love with its b-side Getaway together make an exit at #17. Candy Jelly Love was written and produced by once again OnePiece.
Candy Jelly Love is one-of-a-kind, too good and too special to be a debut song, let alone in K-pop where packaging the music as if it's fast food become a norm. Candy Jelly Love is not an immediate slice of pop, but if you let it grow you will realize the beauty of it all.
The main star of Candy Jelly Love is of course the production. Taking cue from 80s synthpop, Candy Jelly Love manage to sounds fresh yet filled with constant nostalgic feelings. The synths sounds very 80s yet still fresh, arranged carefully to create a gorgeous synths harmony. Saint Etienne, CHVRCHES, Purity Ring found trembling and studying !
All is completed by the girls themselves, providing bittersweet and innocence feeling through the understated melodies. Candy Jelly Love is a triumph, all of the elements are combined to be a sweet love letter to the youth innocence. In the sea of cloyingly cutesy songs, Candy Jelly Love distinguish themselves by surprisingly having an emotional depth and earnestness.
The MV of Candy Jelly Love is one of my favorites from K-pop. How could they manage to make eating candy not boring and so interesting nn ? Just pure brilliance and so cute and so fluffy and so AHHHHH I want to live like that ! When the bridge and final chorus hits and all of the bouncy balls are released, my serotonin shoots up. That's talentry.
And it's all packed along some quirky and funny references. Salvador Dali's moustaches ! Using literal scissor in rock-paper-scissor game ! Brushing teeth PSA after eating candy ? Talented, brilliant, amazing, show- you know the rest.
Of course, we can't forget to address the elephant in the room. And of course many of you thirsty faggeauts also providing comments on that, like RUNAWAY : " ~you’re the best ever cum in my life~ ;)" , ysev : "They truly were the best ever cum in my life! I will cherish them forever." and classy lady Ana Raquel : " I was finding the song just ok and then the <3 best cum in my life <3 verse came in and made it 200% better"
Let's hear a wrong opinion from Wills next : "Instrumental is top-notch, but latter-day Lovelyz never would’ve had a chorus this limp. …although I just remembered Obliviate, so lemme bump this by half a point. Not the best ever cum in my life, but far from the worst." Baby it's all about vibe, just vibe along through the melodies ! Slice of Life is conflicted : " In my heart of hearts, I know this isn’t really a 10. But I just had to give it a 10 because I just adore how assured this debut is. I love a well-thought of sound and concept!" Glad you see the light at the end !
My sister, the true Lovelinus FunkyButChic write something that I agree 100% : " Even on their debut it was pretty clear Lovelyz (as imagined by OnePiece) owed a lot to YMO. Unlike their European synthpop counterparts, YMO's sound was brighter, less cynical, more playful and always designed for the dance floor—qualities that, unsurprisingly, lend themselves well to lyrics which compare love to the sweet pleasure of candy." So concise, smart and understood the reference ! On the other hand, Crisp X I thought you're a synthpop fan. What happened, darling ?
Also the best way to listen Candy Jelly Love is by listening to the intro Introducing The Candy first !
Another single leaves us and it's the awkwardly titled Now, We , the lead single from their repackaged 2nd album. Now, We is written and produced by 1Piece.
I always thought Now, We is underrated in Lovelyz's discography. I love how it's going full assault electro-pop that share its DNA with Perfume or Madeon, compared to their previous singles where they mix 80s synthpop with more organic instrumentals.
It's also pretty fun to see them experiment with new lyrical theme. Up until that time, almost all of the singles are dealing with unrequited love. So to see Now, We mixing the super upbeat feeling with celebratory lyrics about finally getting that love feels correct.
Minor complaint that I had with Now, We is probably the chorus, as it is very one-note that is very unusual for Lovelyz. It definitely takes a while for me to welcome that chorus, but now I think it's a perfect foil to the meandering verses.
As for the MV, well it's another Digipedi creation of course it will be great ! Definitely lacking on budget, but all of it still feels cute and fresh. I love how Babysoul individual scene just consist of her shaking the table that makes the water falls sfdlj It's camp !
RUNAWAY remember the old days : "Fantastic follow up single for this fantastic album. I remember being really excited to see where they would go next after this song came out, and they did not disappoint!" They surely didn't ! Wills on the other hand agree with me about the chorus : "Kinda wish this weren’t entirely built around 3 notes at the upper edge of their range, but other than that it’s really good!"
I still get goosebumps from their preview film for this comeback, which features similar instrumentals to Now, We. It's so dreamy and then BAAM the synths whiplash you !
I still get goosebumps from their preview film for this comeback, which features similar instrumentals to Now, We. It's so dreamy and then BAAM the synths whiplash you !
Sorry for the graphic confusion because this song has so many titles ffff. It is Dear You / Heart / Handle With Care that is leaving today, making Destiny as the last standing from A New Trilogy EP. For now, I will refer this song as Heart because it's easier. Heart is written and produced once again by 1Piece.
I will quote ysev first because he resume it very well : " Damn, this sounds like a full-fledged title track" and it's true ! Not every good b-side have a potential to be title track, but Heart isn't one of them. Quite a shame they waste it as a b-side, let alone as the fifth track on that EP that they never perform / promote in music shows.
Heart feels like it could be a nice summer follow-up and continuation from Destiny, somehow reminds me to high-energy full-force songs a la Navillera or IZ*One's Open Your Eyes. Bursting of energy yet pertaining the dreamy synths quality, their most bombastic chorus to date paired with melodramatic pre-chorus. And that bridge my God, once again 1Piece delivers. And to wrapped it all together, Jin's high note soars through along with electric guitar ! This track has everything !