NASTY NASTY, Star Empire's new co-ed project group, released their music video for their single, "Knock," earlier this month.  Since their official debut as a group, many K-pop fans have drawn comparisons to Trouble Maker, Cube Entertainment's co-ed group.  There are seemingly many similarities between the group; however, there are many unique qualities in each, as well.  So, let's take a further look and compare the two!

Members

The main similarity between the two groups is obviously that they're both made up of co-ed members, which is fairly uncommon in the K-pop industry.  Although we've seen many collaborations between male and female artists, co-ed groups remain sparse.  Both NASTY NASTY and Trouble Maker combine male and female artists from popular groups within their respective agencies.  NASTY NASTY comprises of Nine Muses' Kyung Li and ZE:A's Kevin (in addition to newcomer, Sojin) while Trouble Maker consists of B2ST's Hyunseung and 4minute's HyunA.

Music

The two groups have a similar vibe musically.  "Knock" has a sultry saxophone in the back-beat combined with a club-banger, drum beat.  Trouble Maker, too, has used a similar theme for their hit, "Now."  This adds a sultry feel to both tracks.  The lyrics for "Knock" is definitely more risqué than "Now," however.  Although they are both about lust and love, "Knock" has more sexual connotations—the music videos for "Now" and "Trouble Maker" make the songs seem more sexual than they actually are. Now, the straight-forward lyrics to "Knock" by no means bothers me, but I personally prefer the subtlety in Trouble Maker's tracks.  

One of the main differences between the two groups is the female vocal(s).  While HyunA is a rapper, Kyung Li and Sojin are vocalists.  Thus, they harmonize with the main vocals very differently.  HyunA's husky rapping offsets the smooth vocals of Hyunseung while Kyung Li and Sojin's feminine/delicate vocals perfectly complement Kevin's strong vocals.  Although different, both have their own benefits and unique results. 

Visuals

It is clear that both groups did not opt for the bubbly/cute theme we often see in K-pop.  Rather, they lean more towards the 19+ rating visuals.  There are many scenes from both groups that are prevalent in American hip hop and rap tracks such as cars doing donuts and alcohol abuse.  While Trouble Maker focuses on the relationship between a single couple in their ups and downs, the extra member of NASTY NASTY gives them more freedom (and room for drama), such as the love triangle we see in "Knock."  As for the artistic vision of the music videos, I would say "Knock" is a hybrid of "Now" and "Trouble Maker."  It combines the dull lighting and chic ambience of "Trouble Maker" with the theme of a twisted love that we see in "Now."  At the moment, I prefer Trouble Maker with their story lines and catchy dance moves.  But with attractive and multi-talented members, I'm sure that we'll be seeing a lot cooler and different visuals from both groups. 

I am definitely a fan of co-ed groups, so I'm looking forward to following the growth of NASTY NASTY.  As a new group, they may seemingly fall in the footsteps of Trouble Maker.  However, their three strong vocalists give them the potential to create some solid tracks, and I look forward to hearing more from them.  And of course, I'll always be a fan of Trouble Maker.