New Under the Sun
There's a plethora of girl groups trying to make it into the gayo scene right now. Is there some sort of law that I don't know about that says members of the opposite sex can't be on stage together? There's a reason people like The S#arp and Jaurim so much--they mix it up a bit and avoid that generic girl group/boy group sound. At any rate, there's an entirely new crop of teenaged girls for those who haven't tired of that trend yet.
Take, for instance, the new dance group Papaya. It's inevitable that they will be held up for comparison against S.E.S., Fin.K.L., Baby Vox, et al., and most people will prefer S.E.S. and Fin.K.L. simply because they were there first. That being said, Iteul Ddae Jalhagi (Take Care of My Heart) [RealAudio] isn't exactly painful to listen to. It's light and cute with a catchy chorus. A little more distinctive (but also a little more cute) is Nae Yaegil Deuluhbwah (Listen to Me) [MP3]. This song is derivative of reggae and would make a good summer beach tune.
Another new girl group is Honey Bee, a duo of two girls peforming mostly dance music. I've heard a few samples of their work, but haven't formed a clear opinion. Their debut single My Love [MP3] didn't really grab me, but Nuh Jalnatuh [MP3] has some interesting vocals. I think Yuhoosanyung (Fox Hunt) [MP3] shows the most promise. It's bouncy and has the best melody of the three samples I found. I'm not sure it's good enough to encourage me to buy the CD, but if I hear a fourth song with any substance, I'll take the plunge.
If I was one of the two guys in Z.E.N., I would be feeling like I got ripped off--and not just because the group's producers were making me where my hair that way. The first time I heard this group's debut single, Eve [RealAudio], I thought it was an all-girl group. Even after I watched the Eve video [ASX], I thought it was a girl group. Not until I looked at the CD did I realize those two guys who pop up for about ten seconds in the video are members of the group. This is not the way to gain fame.
Also new--and not exclusively female--is Rainy Sun. Wow, what a difference from Honey Bee, Papaya and Z.E.N. I don't know anything about this group, but I can tell someone sent their kid to jazz lessons when I listen to Geuraesuh [RealAudio]. Sangchuh [RealAudio] is a melancholy ballad with decidedly odd vocals. Kudos to the group for breaking new ground in the pop world. I'm guessing they aren't going to sell as many records as H.O.T. will when they release album No. 5 in the next couple weeks, but they really should.
And don't let the name of the new group Sweetpea put you off. I was thinking, "Yeah, another TTMA," but their debut song, Yoogi [RealAudio] is a really tight ballad backed by rhythm guitar. Dalehsuhui 9nyun [RealAudio] is also a ballad, and these two songs together left me wanting more. The CD is definitely on my "to buy" list--I'm anxious to find out if the entire collection is ballads, or if they break out into the suggestion of rock made in Yoogi.
I'm particularly happy to see Rainy Sun and Sweetpea breaking new ground, and I hope more groups consider breaking out of the rigid k-pop mold.
By Denise Ahn
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