GUGUDAN – ACT.2 NARCISSUS
Track List:
1. Rainbow
2. A Girl Like Me
3. Hate You
4. One Step Closer
5. Make A Wish
6. A Girl Like Me (Inst.)
To follow up their fairy-tale themed debut 'The Little Mermaid,' Gugudan now riffs off the theme of Narcissus from Greek mythology for their new EP, 'Act.2 Narcissus.' The title track "A Girl Like Me" is inspired by the myth of a beautiful youth who falls head over heels in love with his reflection in a pool of water, finally turning into a flower. Labelmate Ravi from VIXX wrote the third track on the disc "Hate You."
The EP starts out with "Rainbow," which unfortunately seems a bit like filler. The song is a bit disjointed, the melody exceedingly upbeat and frenetic. I don't think it hangs together as a song as nicely as it might, with some jarring pauses and time changes. It's got a bit of a retro vibe, and I was underwhelmed by this one.
The title track is "A Girl Like Me," inspired by the myth of Narcissus, but the meaning is a bit unclear. The lyrics are clear enough -- they're trying to get a guy to notice them, and perhaps the guy is too consumed with his image in the mirror? Unless it could be the girls being so about themselves that they can't see why a guy wouldn't be interested. Easily the shortest track, this is far more meaty than any song from their debut, and it's insanely catchy to boot. It's got a retro-vibe to it that the chorus demolishes, and has some genius hooks in the chorus too. It's enough to draw you in without becoming annoying. There are definitely some strong vocalists that are allowed to shine here, Nayoung and Sejeong in particular.
Ravi shows off his songwriting chops in "Hate You." Here's where some of their trademark cuteness comes through, while at the same time expressing their anger at a guy who's playing with them. It's a smooth transition to the chorus, which loses none of the song's initial charm, and is just perfect pop. It's not too explosive and has a really pleasant melody. There are some very short, cute raps, and a sweet bridge. Not sure about that dance break at the end though... but it doesn't ruin it.
Ravi shows off his songwriting chops in "Hate You." Here's where some of their trademark cuteness comes through, while at the same time expressing their anger at a guy who's playing with them. It's a smooth transition to the chorus, which loses none of the song's initial charm, and is just perfect pop. It's not too explosive and has a really pleasant melody. There are some very short, cute raps, and a sweet bridge. Not sure about that dance break at the end though... but it doesn't ruin it.
If the previous track was quieter than the first two, "One Step Closer" slows it down even more. It's got a nice, soft pop feature to it, R&B tinged and definitely adorable. There's something about their voices that really suits this tune, but the synth scratches are unnecessary. I think they maybe have been trying to generate more interest, but it doesn't need it. It's a nicely-done tune on its own, and the vocals carry it just fine. This is probably my favorite track on the EP.
"Make A Wish" is the obligatory ballad. There's some really beautiful voice work here, but it almost gets ruined when the production threatens to overwhelm the singing. Thankfully, the cacophony subsides long enough for us to hear their lovely voices once more. They handle it well, though, seemingly not shouting to be heard, but instead putting some emotion into their voices. The harmonies on this song are to die for.
Overall, it's a bit uneven. I like it more than 'The Little Mermaid,' and it seems like they have grown vocally. This EP showcases more of their range, and that's a good thing. But I think the problem is here is that they try to pack too much production into it. There are some urban nods that are unnecessary and just feel tacked on because they're not a hip-hop outfit. But that's the company's fault. It's not a bad offering, but if they knew when to leave a song alone it would be much improved.
The girls do their thing in a variety of attention-getting antics. From being framed in a picture to strutting down a catwalk, or just being silly in the bedroom for a closed-circuit TV. Regardless, all of this is meant to indicate some narcissism or self-centeredness.
Of course, in between all this is the dancing. They do a decent job overall -- they're on point and they switch positions adroitly. But we don't see too much of this, though it seems competently done. It's nothing special, but it's fun to watch.
The wardrobe is meant to show off as much as possible, within the bounds of taste. There's no obvious stockings or garters or things like that, but the skirts are super short. Thankfully, they don't veer too much toward the sexy, showing that these girls can be beautiful without baring everything. The outfits change during the individual scenes, too.
There's some strange imagery, too. So there are things like birds flying around Soyee inside, and a foot inside a fishbowl, a TV for a head on a Greek statue, and so on. Not exactly sure what any of that is supposed to mean, but it makes for a wild and crazy viewing experience.
And yeah, it makes little sense when you put it all together. But I don't think that's the point. They're promoting during a time when a number of supergroups are having their comebacks, so the point is to have something out there. It doesn't look cheap, and it's a fun ride -- the music helps see to that.
MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............7
Album Production....7
Album Concept........8
Tracklisting..............8
OVERALL...............7.6
"Make A Wish" is the obligatory ballad. There's some really beautiful voice work here, but it almost gets ruined when the production threatens to overwhelm the singing. Thankfully, the cacophony subsides long enough for us to hear their lovely voices once more. They handle it well, though, seemingly not shouting to be heard, but instead putting some emotion into their voices. The harmonies on this song are to die for.
Overall, it's a bit uneven. I like it more than 'The Little Mermaid,' and it seems like they have grown vocally. This EP showcases more of their range, and that's a good thing. But I think the problem is here is that they try to pack too much production into it. There are some urban nods that are unnecessary and just feel tacked on because they're not a hip-hop outfit. But that's the company's fault. It's not a bad offering, but if they knew when to leave a song alone it would be much improved.
MV REVIEW
The girls do their thing in a variety of attention-getting antics. From being framed in a picture to strutting down a catwalk, or just being silly in the bedroom for a closed-circuit TV. Regardless, all of this is meant to indicate some narcissism or self-centeredness.
Of course, in between all this is the dancing. They do a decent job overall -- they're on point and they switch positions adroitly. But we don't see too much of this, though it seems competently done. It's nothing special, but it's fun to watch.
The wardrobe is meant to show off as much as possible, within the bounds of taste. There's no obvious stockings or garters or things like that, but the skirts are super short. Thankfully, they don't veer too much toward the sexy, showing that these girls can be beautiful without baring everything. The outfits change during the individual scenes, too.
There's some strange imagery, too. So there are things like birds flying around Soyee inside, and a foot inside a fishbowl, a TV for a head on a Greek statue, and so on. Not exactly sure what any of that is supposed to mean, but it makes for a wild and crazy viewing experience.
And yeah, it makes little sense when you put it all together. But I don't think that's the point. They're promoting during a time when a number of supergroups are having their comebacks, so the point is to have something out there. It doesn't look cheap, and it's a fun ride -- the music helps see to that.
Score
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............7
Album Production....7
Album Concept........8
Tracklisting..............8
OVERALL...............7.6
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