Okay-Pop’s first technology is commonly referenced as the inspiration for the trade we take pleasure in now, however there aren’t sufficient good English-language sources that give its music the main focus it deserves. I’m hoping to alter that with a unbroken flashback sequence, spotlighting private highlights from the period – each iconic and obscure.
The period in query is commonly thought-about to run from the debut of Search engine optimisation Taiji & Boys in 1992 to the emergence of TVXQ in late 2003. The music featured on this sequence will largely match inside that timeframe, give or take just a few years on both facet.
It was a time of bonkers tune constructions, wild trend, slamming techno beats, unhealthy reggae impressions, flagrant use (theft?) of American hip-hop samples, hearty energy ballads, foul language, the growliest rapper tones you possibly can think about and an anything-goes scrappiness that’s inconceivable to pigeonhole. To borrow the title of a well-liked second-gen act, these years have been the “huge bang” of an rising musical powerhouse, nonetheless discovering its footing and throwing all the pieces on the wall.
Try different “Again to Okay-pop’s First Technology” critiques right here.
With the huge success of boy group H.O.T, it was solely a matter of time earlier than SM Leisure debuted their first lady group. S.E.S arrived in 1997 with a contemporary, harmless picture and songs that each mirrored traits of the period and seemed again at older pop many years.
Songs like I’m Your Lady are actually iconic, however it’s 1998’s Goals Come True that appears like their most enduring hit. From what I can inform, it’s additionally the primary occasion of SM Leisure outsourcing their materials by protecting a success from Finnish lady group Nylon Beat. Sure, my Korean and Finnish obsessions overlapped earlier than I used to be even conscious of both of them! A fantastic tune tends to stay an important tune regardless of the language, and S.E.S’s model is a really trustworthy interpretation. The obvious departure is its quirky rapped bridge, which appears like a robotic pixy mimicking TLC’s Lisa ‘Lefteye’ Lopes’ stream. That’s a really particular, unusual description… however the strategy in some way works!
Extra importantly, S.E.S convey some killer vocals to this observe. I imply, hearken to these harmonies! Bada specifically has one of the vital irresistible tones in all of Okay-Pop – sugary candy and infinitely pretty. The group’s efficiency makes Goals Come True the definitive model of this observe. It’s a case of vocal and manufacturing matching completely. The synergy creates a dreamlike ambiance that sounds as beguiling and contemporary at this time because it should have in 1998. The key phrase right here is “soundscape.” The vibe is simply beautiful. Of all their many hits, Goals Come True has develop into the plain Okay-pop commonplace.
| Hooks | 10 |
| Manufacturing | 10 |
| Longevity | 10 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 10 |
Grade: A+
