I love how fucking iconic Wonder Girls still are within K-pop despite the fact that they were technically only stratospherically huge for about two years. They couldn’t keep their sky-high popularity going in the same way that Girls’ Generation or BIGBANG have (JYP’s fault, obviously), but their initial success left such a deep mark that they’re still more relevant than most of the top active K-pop acts today.
For proof of Wonder Girls’ defining impact, look no further than Ladies’ Code/Sladies’ Code’s new MV, “So Wonderful.” The second biggest rookie girl group of last year (after Crayon Pop, of course) have specialized in the retro genre since they debuted with the surprisingly epic “Bad Girl,” but it’s always been an original take on the style — until now.
The jazzy flair of “So Wonderful” helps separate it from Wonder Girls’ legendary “Nobody,” but the similarities between the two songs are shockingly present in the lyrics and concept. Ladies’ Code use the same vintage microphones and ’60s style outfits, and the choreography is one clap away from being the “Nobody” dance. Not to mention that “Wonderful” is the official name of Wonder Girls fans. I still haven’t quite figured out if it’s all just shameless noise marketing, a friendly homage, or a bit of both.
In their defence, Ladies’ Code do edge things up a bit compared to the “Tell Me” stars. Their clothes are more fashionable than costume-y, and the MV has a creepy theme about living mannequins or some shit.
Anyway, I love it. I love everything Sladies’ Code does. They’re still lacking the kind of memorable “it” hit that’s required for major super-stardom (besides “Bad Girl,” but you never hit daebak with your debut), but there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll get there soon.
While Ladies’ Code channel the Wonder Girls, one Wonder Girl just made her second life-changing comeback since relaunching as a sex-crazed solo artist last year with “24 Hours.”
For this release, Sunmi’s dropped JYP and hooked up with the inescapable Brave Brothers for a song that sounds exactly like every other song he’s produced in the past two years, but at the same time still stands on its as an original production. There’s some TEEN TOP, SISTAR19, and After School in Sunmi’s “Full Moon,” but not so much that it sounds derivative of any one particular Brave hit.
You can hear that he’s taken the best bits from some of his biggest hits (namely “Gone Not Around Any Longer”) and it turned into something new — like replacing the squiggly porno sax with funky electric guitar doodling! Actually, the sax is still there too, but it’s relegated to faint background noise on the chorus instead of featuring as prominently as it has in the past.
Listening to a sexpot like Sunmi coo about seducing her man under the midnight moonlight is enough to make you simultaneously fall in love and blow your load for the next three weeks straight. Even the addition of some nugu JYP rapper called Lena doesn’t take away from the song (bitch actually slays), but I would’ve preferred Yubin or someone more relevant instead.
Perfect song aside, the best part about “Full Moon” –and I’m sure everybody will agree with me here– is the music video. Oh my god, THE VIDEO.
Sunmi plays a horny vampire who stalks a guy and booty grinds all over the place like a stripper, but it’s the classiest most sensual booty grinding you ever did see (i.e. the opposite of Rihanna and Shakira’s plotless slut-trash “Can’t Remember to Forget You” MV). I’m calling it, ‘Sunmi’s STELLAR slow twerk,’ and it’s the definitive dance move of 2014 so far — it surpasses Girl’s Day’s drop ‘n’ crawl and whatever-in-the-flawless-hell AOA were doing in “Miniskirt.”
Anyway, after she twerks, Sunmi climbs onto an antique lounge and elongates her perfect legs, before violently flinging them open and thrusting her hands in front of her sweet cherry. And, just when you think she’s done with all the naughty dance moves, BAM, bitch starts twerking on a snowy rooftop in front of a full moon! The entire routine is a blessing to the eyes and to the loins.
I’m seriously starting to ask myself if Sunmi is the best contemporary K-diva around right now. Probably not (who can beat Ga-In or the established broads like Seo In Young and Baek Ji Young?), she she will be soon if she keeps this up.
The post Sladies’ Code Copies Wonder Girls, Sunmi Out-STELLARs STELLAR, Everything Is Wonderful appeared first on arcadey.