HELLO VENUS - I"M ILL

Tracklist

1. I'm Ill
2. Show Window
3. Whatcha Talk About Me
4. Chameleon
5. I'm Ill (Club Remix Ver.)

It's been awhile since the rebooted Hello Venus burst onto the scene, complete with a sexy concept. Now, instead of a single, they've released a full mini album, 'I'm Ill,' with the title track produced by Brave Brothers. A fan of Hello Venus before the revamp, I was curious about the new album.



Starting with an auto-tuned "Hello Venus, Brave Sound drop it," it quickly turns into a bouncing, twisty synth line that is totally appropriate for a dance song. As much as I'm not a fan of the new Hello Venus, I was in heaven when I heard this one. As fun as the song is, it's the standard subject matter for 99% of girl groups: "I'm sexy come get me."

"Show Window" is a smooth r&b offering complete with horns and understated synth. I like the honeyed voices on vocals; the girls killed it here. The dial tone as part of the melody is a nice touch. It's a reflective piece (no pun intended) about looking in a store window and seeing how they look while heartbroken.



Piping synths lead into "Whatcha Talk About Me" before introducing the song with the chorus. This frantically-sung, rapid-fire piece is fierce and bratty. The song is nice and hooky with almost a trap sound, matching the tone of the rest of the album nicely. The song is about calling a man out on his lies.

"Chameleon" leads with more "hello venus" callouts. It's a bouncy dance track with a pounding beat. Their pronunciation is funny "keh-mih-layon," but that doesn't stop it from being a kicking, catchy, good time. They use autotune to good effect here, not annoying me like autotune sometimes does. Even though they like the guy, they're too shy to say, hiding like a chameleon.



Hello Venus appears to have gone the EDM route, which is actually a good thing. They needed something to differentiate themselves from the sexy bands out there, and now that techno is becoming more mainstream, it's probably a safe bet. IMHO, it makes a song better if you can stop rehashing the same four chords over and over, and EDM allows the producers to come up with entirely new sounds. And they killed it here. The writers not only came up with a couple original ideas lyrics-wise (like "Show Window"and "Chameleon") but also the girls really showcased their talents pulling this off. I really can't wait to hear more from the new Hello Venus.  

MV REVIEW

The girls are taking in the nightlife in their new video for "I'm Ill."

It's a pretty straightforward MV. The girls are hot, and they know it. As they tease a guy who goes gaga for them, they dance, they sit, they drink, and there's a even a minimal pole dance scene.

The costumes are actually pretty nicely done. Club wear, yet still halfway tasteful. No plunging necklines or cheap looking outfits meant to titillate and little else. Yes, the point of watching a girl band is because it's fun to watch the girls, but this made it a bit less obvious.



The dancing is pretty meh. It's not bad, per se, but not terribly challenging. Some of it is reminiscent of T-ara's "Sugar Free."

It was fun to watch at least once. There's lots of color, plenty of shots of the girls, and interestingly lit neon scenes. Would I watch it again? Maybe. I really dig the song, and I think that helps. And the video goes right along with not only the theme of the song but also the music. It's sexy without being too blatant, and we definitely need more of that.  

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