Review: Like Money featuring Akon – Wonder Girls

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Aug 172012
 

Sometimes, you have to wonder if certain collaborations don’t just scream “Stop! Don’t do it! Terrible idea!” And then you wonder if anyone else can see it, or if music producers are maybe just impervious to perceiving bad ideas. And no idea, none, screams disaster from the top of its sad, non-existent little lungs that matching up Wonder Girls and Akon. This is probably the worst idea since Kanye got a guest verse on Katy Perry’s E.T. – the two just don’t seem like a mix that’s going to mesh well. At yet, someone thought, with their superior money-making judgement, that this was a match made in music heaven, or at least good enough to sell to the general public.

So, will the English-language Like Money defy all expectations and be a million dollar hit, or will it continue the trend of bankrupt songs coming from this previously successful group? Let’s take a look.

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Review: Like This – Wonder Girls

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Jun 202012
 

You know, the minute I say anything about an Asian girl group, the exact opposite happens. I say Morning Musume is dying, it has a sudden comeback. The minute I say the Wonder Girls are on a comeback, they make horrifying flops of songs and decisions. This is could make my job as a music critic incredibly difficult.

So, yes, the Wonder Girl’s new song Like This off their second mini-album Wonder Party…sometimes there just aren’t enough words.

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The Return of the Wonder Girls!

 Music, News  1 Response »
Nov 122011
 

It’s no secret, I love Asian Pop. I think it is far superior to it’s American and British counterparts, simply because they have stricter standards. Caught smoking underaged? Britney Spears does it, slap on the wrist, Kago Ai does it, and she gets suspended from making music. Asian pop idols have higher bars they have to live up to, and there is no forgiving a sloppy dance, or bad singing. Yes, this can physically drain the artists, and puts their agencies in a position to really abuse their power (everything has a downside) but there’s no denying what is produced can be wonderful.

So when I heard the Wonder Girls were coming out with a new album, all I thought was “The Tell-Me dance girls? That’s nice, more competition for SNSD.” For those of you who don’t know, the Wonder Girls is a Korean pop group, whose big break came in the very late 2000s, and then they went on a small hiatus. In the meantime, groups like SNSD (aka Girls Generation) and 2NE1 took the central spotlight of the music scene.

But now, the Wonder Girls are back, and they are fantastic. Their new single off the Wonder World album, “Be My Baby,” is beyond all expectations, releasing both a Korean and English version to cater to local and international fans. The lyrics are nothing special, but the song itself is cheerful, fun, and most importantly catchy. SNSD’s latest single “The Boys” (released around the same time) in comparison is a little more generic to the pop-hiphop style and just doesn’t seem to stick. (I’m not saying it’s a bad track…but it’s not their usual high quality work)

Jonte, the director the “Single Ladies” video, took the lead on this project, hence the similarities in clothing, set design, and lighting. It is classy but high spirited, it inspires you to dance but is also toned down – simple and effective music video making at it’s best. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check it out ASAP! It’s great to see this group is still up and kicking, and I love forward to seeing more of their work soon!