If there is any active K-Pop group that proves that talent isn't all it takes to make it, it's SPICA. Almost every member is as good- if not better- than a number of main vocals in other groups, and leader Bo Ah used to be a vocal trainer for Sweetune, teaching heavy hitters like KARA and INFINITE how to sound their best. Netizens love to heap praises on SPICA for their vocals, but the praises have yet to manifest in strong sales or a significant following. However, it appears things are starting to look up after Jiwon featured in the MV for Baechigi's huge hit "Shower of Tears" earlier this year and even performed the song with them a few times. With Lee Hyori throwing all of her support behind the group, even acting as their mentor in a reality show, SPICA seems poised to make a much-needed step forward in their careers.
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According to B2M Entertainment, "Tonight" is a remake of something from Dsign Music- the geniuses behind hits like f(x)'s "Rum Pum Pum Pum" and "Airplane" and Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy" and almost everything on Hyori's 'Monochrome' album. Because of this, it was pretty much guaranteed that the song would be good, if perhaps a little odd or controversial. Beyond that, B2M hammered home the fact that Hyori and Bo Ah wrote the Korean lyrics for "Tonight", making a move towards an artist/idol image for Bo Ah, if not for all of SPICA. The teaser gave very little insight into the song, but we got the visual that the group was trying out a new flower-crown-hipster concept. Yeah, it's been done to death in western music, but it hasn't really been broached in K-Pop yet (the closest has probably been FIESTAR and IU's "Sea of Moonlight" MV or SHINee's teaser photos for "Sherlock"), so it actually is something kind of new and interesting in context. Can I also just point out how B2M has finally given Bo Ah a look that does her justice? She's a gorgeous girl and some of her styling in the past (I'm looking at you, "Lonely"...) has done nothing for her. This time around, everyone looks fantastic.
With the unusual (by K-pop standards) visuals and the Dsign team behind the song, I'm surprised that "Tonight" is as straightforward as it is. It's a good song, don't get me wrong- K-Pop was in dire need of a rocking end-of-summer jam and this song totally delivers on that front- but with the massive success of their songs for SM Entertainment artists and Hyori, I was hoping for something a little more daring. I don't really know why they felt the need to shoehorn rapping into the prechorus, since it slows down the momentum going into the chorus. The refrain itself never gets quite as explosive as it feels like it should, and it lacks a strong hook.
All of that said, this is definitely the best song we've heard from SPICA so far. Typical idol songs aren't built for five strong vocalists, so the girls need something big and epic like "Tonight" to really show what they're made of. "Tonight" will very likely end up being their biggest hit thus far and rightfully so- if they were looking to define themselves, this is a huge step in the right direction. Keep the momentum rolling, turn up the quirk factor in your music to match your image, and SPICA- you might really be on to something.
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