As standard, SBS’s year-end pageant falls on Christmas day. Due to this, the themes have been getting increasingly more holiday-focused with every passing 12 months. Everybody and their mom carried out a “Christmas model” of their songs tonight, however you don’t get to name one thing a “Christmas model” simply since you throw sleigh bells on the monitor for 5 seconds throughout the intro! I’m positively in search of a much bigger reinterpretation than that, that means preparations that took larger dangers rank increased on my record – even when these dangers didn’t fairly repay. And to be sincere, not many did. Shoehorning Christmas into songs that don’t have anything to do with the vacation is commonly grating and grows very tiresome for 3 hours straight.
To assuage this concern of repetition, SBS themed tonight “Merry & Freaky Christmas.” I nonetheless can’t imagine that is what they determined to go along with. It’s an odd phrase, to make certain, and one thing I’d be glad to by no means hear once more. I’ll even be good with out sleigh bells for awhile. Possibly after this 12 months SBS shouldn’t lean thus far into Christmas. It’s too limiting and ends in bizarre conceptual mash-ups or cut-and-paste sleigh bell nonsense.
So far as staging is anxious, I additionally discovered issues fairly bizarre this 12 months. Lots of the levels didn’t benefit from the huge venue, positioning teams in entrance of LED screens that made the performances really feel fairly small. This was irritating and robbed the levels of their sense of spectacle. Conversely, there typically gave the impression to be a disconnect between the performers and viewers, making issues really feel unusually impersonal. For these reveals, you really want to go certainly one of two methods: big or intimate. With some exceptions, I don’t really feel like SBS hit the mark in both path.
Regardless of a killer line-up, tonight’s present paled compared to KBS’s pageant final week. It was a downgrade in each method. SBS not often places on my favourite of the three gayos, so I suppose that’s to be anticipated. At the very least we had the return of some big-name acts to brighten up the finales of components two and three.
Songs like Pink Hoodie are the explanation I’m not often in a position to get into aespa’s albums past the title tracks. They’re simply not for me. Additionally, I want SM would discover a option to completely reinterpret Supernova for certainly one of these year-end reveals.
But extra proof that this group’s stage presence far outstrips their materials. I discover Drip fairly boring as a track, however they carried out the hell out of it. Let’s get them some higher songs, YG.
This complete factor felt extremely awkward. I don’t actually know what they have been going for, nevertheless it was a bizarre mixture of concepts that didn’t come collectively, and “Fairy Story Of Sneakers” is an unintentionally humorous title, translated or not. Have been they making an attempt to capitalize on the success of Depraved? Heesung’s dance was the particular brilliant spot, in order that’s the one I’m linking within the title.
I don’t assume I’ll ever like Ditto the way in which others do, nevertheless it was good to listen to it stripped again to a extra acoustic model. In the meantime, I don’t get the enchantment of Cookie in any respect. It was an odd option to carry out a bunch of 2022 songs on the 2024 Gayo Daejun.
I’m truthfully nonetheless reeling from their unimaginable KBS efficiency, however this was an enormous letdown compared. Kudos for mixing up the instrumental, however this model robbed Plot Twist of all its indelible power. My least favourite remix of the track by far.
10. ZEROBASEONE – Highway Film + Good So Unhealthy
Justice for Highway Film! They get bonus factors simply performing that track. Disgrace concerning the underwhelming mixture of Good So Unhealthy, although.
9. Stray Children – Walkin On Water + Mountains
I don’t care a lot for both of those songs, however they placed on a superb present and utilized the stage nicely not like most acts tonight. The haircut appears to be the largest speaking level of this efficiency, although!
8. ENHYPEN – XO + Introduced The Warmth Again
Very strong. I like that they’re selling Introduced The Warmth Again at these festivals. The slight change within the combine labored nicely and the dancing was on level as all the time.
7. RIIZE – Love 119
What an excellent transfer to open this efficiency with a little bit of Emergency Room, which varieties the backdrop for Love 119. I want this intro would have lasted longer, because it was good to listen to the fellows’ vocals and not using a bunch of manufacturing behind them. The remainder of the efficiency was fairly customary aside from a cool breakdown that didn’t actually match the track. Total, this was a bizarre one.
6. TYD – Love Me Proper
I used to be wanting ahead to this stage as a result of I’m a sucker for these “youngest members get collectively to point out you the way it’s executed” performances. It was enjoyable seeing them collectively, however I wanted extra of Kyungmin’s voice as a result of that boy is a singer and he’d kill this style.
5. G-Dragon – Energy + Crooked
You realize, I’d love to put this increased on my record. It will get ranked solely as a result of Crooked is among the greatest Okay-pop songs ever and G-Dragon is a complete legend, however I discover the stay performances of Energy to be extremely awkward and the vocal on Crooked was tough… to say the least. I do know that’s intentional and singing isn’t the talent GD’s most identified for (although at his greatest he has certainly one of my favourite tones), however this was actually simply screeching and received by on the unimaginable power of the track and his pure charisma. Given the circumstances, this could have been a simple primary.
4. BOYNEXTDOOR – It’s Starting To Look A Lot Like Christmas + Good Man
The dance with Santa was most likely the freakiest factor on this “Merry and Freaky Christmas” night time. It was legitimately humorous and Good Man truly works fairly nicely with sleigh bells. This stage wasn’t significantly formidable, nevertheless it was very charming.
3. LE SSERAFIM – Loopy
I completely cherished the dance intro to this. From the styling (have been these creepy Santa masks?) to the descent from the ceiling to the prolonged formations, this was so entertaining. The power continued into a good clubbier mixture of Loopy. This was nice.
2. Key – Pleasure Store
Why the hell was this stage combine not the primary manufacturing for Pleasure Store as an alternative of the boring H&M-lite model we received saddled with? Severely, the track is 100 instances extra fascinating this manner, even when the underlying melodies are nonetheless forgettable. He must lean onerous into this extra dynamic dance sound.
1. 2NE1 – Hearth + I Don’t Care + Ugly + I Am The Greatest
These outdated songs simply hit totally different, and it’s not solely my nostalgia speaking. 2NE1 are charisma with a capital “C” they usually roared again with that very same power. Two hours into the present, I feel they have been the primary act to genuinely interact the viewers. The hits sounded nice, the women seemed superb and the staging was dynamic. I already knew I’d love this comeback, however they exceeded expectations.
