Song Review: Hwasa (Mamamoo) – NA
Review

Song Review: Hwasa (Mamamoo) – NA

It’s been about a year since we heard from Hwasa with the gimmicky (but somehow enduring?) I Love My Body. On new single NA, she’s traded that song’s retro trappings for a more modern house beat. It’s a welcome jolt of energy within her discography, even if the track spends too much time talking when … Continue reading

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – dangdang
Review

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – dangdang

Mamamoo and its sub-units never met an onomatopoeia they didn’t love. Their music has increasingly become characterized by cartoonish hooks placed over funky backbeats. Hints of their retro, jazzy debut-era sound still creep up in the vocal delivery, but their work has become mired in a sense of novelty that belies their obvious talent. My … Continue reading

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – Save Me
Review

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – Save Me

Sub-unit Mamamoo+ are making a relatively quick comeback after releasing their single album this March. Like last time, they’ve kicked things off with a pre-release. Save Me (지구에 혼자 남게 된다면) lowers the tempo for a vocal showcase in keeping with Mamamoo’s strengths. As beautifully as this may be performed, Save Me feels like musical … Continue reading

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – GGBB
Review

Song Review: Mamamoo+ – GGBB

Mamamoo+’s pre-release Chico Malo felt like a lateral move for the girls – a song that sits squarely within the group’s recent repertoire. In contrast, title track GGBB brings us back to early-Mamamoo, when the girls vamped over old-school sounds with an almost vaudevillian flair. But while this nostalgia is appreciated, I wish the song … Continue reading