Music / Idols
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Going Goo Goo Ga Ga: Block B’s NanrinA

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Written by On February 5, 2012

Dear Seoulbeats Readers: Your writer, Gil, is in love. Well, not really… more like she found a new obsession and her victim — if you haven’t deduced from the title — is the new(ish) group Block B.

Block B was created by Cho PD in an effort to create the next Eminem project, and as laughable as that idea may be, these boys aren’t your average run of the mill K-pop rappers. The group consists of 7 total members with a healthy mix of dancers, rappers, and singers. Both Zico and Kyung have roots in the underground hip-hop scene in Korea and their talent shows through their numerous mixtapes. The Block B boys are also known for being talented rookies involved in producing and writing many of their own songs, including five of the six tracks for their new mini album “Welcome to the Block.”

On February 2nd, the group released the music video for their new hip hop track NanrinA:

Before going into the analysis of the music video, there are some things I must note: One, while all the members were working their inner sexiness, Taeil comes out with a bowl cut and hipster glasses looking like the most precious thing to walk the earth since Yoseob. Two, U-Kwon’s line. You all know what I’m talking about. “I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know but I’m hot, hot. You know what, you know what, I mean, mean.” As if that tongue sticking out wasn’t enough, you go and say that line? There is a reason why your songs are banned. MOGEF can’t handle the sexy.

Cinematography: 4 out of 5

I loved the lighting in this music video. There were a lot of red and blue hues that added to the dark overall ambiance. The whole point was to set up for an epic battle (which did not happen!) between the two groups: Red Tiger and Black Dragon. The word Nanrina means “Going Crazy” and the shots of the members crazily grooving and dancing added to that vibe. The boys were trying to exude a bad-boy troublemaker feel, and the alleyway shots and industrial setting definitely added to that image. Usually in K-pop music videos, there is an element of solo shots, where particular members are showcased by themselves during their part of the song. In this music video, whenever a member had a solo shot, the other members of their respective gang were behind him dancing and grooving, which I thought was an interesting touch. Even though I was confused at the music video’s story, the shots were well taken and the colors meshed well with each other.

Execution: 5 out of 5

The boys had some questionable fashion choices and even more questionable dance moves (I’ve dubbed it the Gorilla dance), but they brought enough swagger to pull it off.  I was hoping for more of Jaehyo and Taeil (the main vocalists of the group), but even with the short lines they had, they managed to have a presence in the song. The shots of the two teams walking with complete and utter confidence and a look of “I’m sexy and I sure well damn know it” was fantastic. You know that these boys had fun and because it showed.

Emotional and intellectual value: 2 out of 5

The lyrics are essentially an expression of cockiness and praise for their girl-macking skills, almost like a the male version of 2NE1′s “I am the Best”. They have plenty of confidence and this song exudes that well, but are they trying to display some sort of deeper message? No, and the music video doesn’t seem to make much sense, either. The beginning sets a premise for an epic battle between teams Black Dragon and Red Tiger, but the MV pulled a Twilight on us in that the epic fight scene was non-existent, unless you count that earthbending stomp of Zico’s. The random baby babble ”Goo goo Ga Ga” in the chorus was odd, but these boys somehow owned it with their swag.

Even though the music video did nothing for me other than provide a source of intense fangirling, it is undeniable that there was a darkness and masculinity that these boys pulled off well. However, there were some shots that made me raise my eyebrows, one example being around 2:45 where Zico handcuffs a girl– the one that he ‘saved’ earlier in the music video — which is not cool bro, not cool. Other than that, the music video is a nonsensical gangster video where the boys step up their hip hop image and provides for good entertainment.

Although I will forever refer to this song as Narnia, Block B has stepped up their game and had a complete change of image. You could see the hard work and talent these boys put into their track and I would in particular recommend listening to “Lol” off of their new album.

What are your thoughts? Do you go goo goo ga ga over this like me or are you unaffected by the gorilla dance? Leave your comments below!

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  • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

    I only recently took an interest in Block B with this comeback because I see so many people spazzing about them, so when they had their comeback with this song I was excited to see all the amazingness everybody was talking about, but honestly, am I the only person that finds this song really really irritating?? I can’t form an actual opinion of whether or not it’s actually good because everytime I listen to it it grates on my  nerves so much =S If anybody will tell me what else they promoted that was really good I would appreciate it.
    Not gonna cross this group off just because this song annoys me though lol.

    • http://twitter.com/kimmiesamaniego Kim Samaniego

      Many of their songs always get banned but from the new mini album Synchronization 100% and Action are definitely my favorites. When I first heard the sneak peak of LOL I was totally horrified that they would have a song that said “lololololol”.. but honestly it’s not as bad as I expected. 

      U Hoo Hoo & Is It Just Me?  from the New Kid On the Block album are also other favorites.

      • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

        I’ll definetly go ahead and check out these songs when I get a chance ^__^ might play their mini albums fully and just see what I think, thank you for the recommendations ^_^

  • P.

    Nanrina was hot hot and hot! I certainly went goo goo ga ga over them! The boys look mighty fine and the beat is sick! 

  • YesNo

    @twitter-318087475:disqus You are not the only person who feels like that!! The song is irritating to me too. Some of them are really talented but the new mini is just okay. I actually thought LOL was their best track….and then I read the translated lyrics :/ I’m pretty much over them at this point.

    • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

      Oh really?? Hmm I’ll go ahead and listen to the mini albums with lyrics and see what I think =)

  • http://twitter.com/AbyCantEven Aby Trollolol Diaz

    I barely downloaded the first mini-album three weeks ago and have been obsessed ever since. I now understand why people love them so much. Although I am by no means a BBC, I still really appreciate these guys. It sucks to see the lack of attention or blatant disrespect that they receive from the major networks and from the MOGEF. 난리나 hasn’t gotten out of my head since the MV was released. I am now a fan of their music.

  • kpoper

    OMG this song is with no doubt my addiaction right now. they are awesome, great & talnted boys speacialy zico OMGGG
    the song get me back to my kpop addiaction. i hope its the beagining for new era for kpop, coz 2011 was mostly suck for me
    hoping for better 2012 with block b in the start xD

  • tli

    This song is horrible, i never understand the hype about this group

    • Anonymous

      I am sure this song isn’t towards everyones liking but you should really give their other songs shot; they have some pretty solid stuff for a new group in the saturated & sugary world of k-pop.

      If we are talking about unnecessary hype on a group, it would be Boyfriend; I don’t hate the guys but I just never found what is so amazing about that group. I even gave their songs a listen and didn’t like it. But if that’s how you feel towards Block B, it’s understandable.

  • http://twitter.com/kimmiesamaniego Kim Samaniego

    I think the appeal of Block B is that they don’t really act like the typical idol. I actually became a fan of the group after watching MTV’s Match Up with them before I even heard their music. 

  • http://twitter.com/jinranbb Jinran (BB)

    So I wasn’t the only one who thought they looked like gorillas. Nonetheless, I became a fan of BBC recently aka yesterday when I saw their performance of Nanrina. If you get a chance, search up “Block B trolling.” Their trolling just endears me even more to these talented boys. 

    It also helps that Jaehyo looks a lot like Kyuhyun (my ultimate Kpop bias/husband) from a lot of angles. 

    Taeil is actually the most precious bby ever. He is known for the extremely funny “MY NAME IJA TAEIL!!!” oh god, I laughed until my sides split. 

    • Blossemcup4

      I’ve always felt Jaehyo looked like Nana from After School.

  • Anonymous

    Glad to see you in “love”, Gil ^__^~

    But on a serious note, I enjoyed Block B’s new album; it was very different and unique compared to most of the other boy groups that debuted around the same time as Block B. [B1A4, Boyfriend, etc.]

    And I think that’s what so appealing about them; these 7 boys are so wild and carefree. They aren’t the typical cute and innocent idols who care for their image. And that just makes them looks that much more human to me. And approachable lol <3

  • Maligurl

    Dude Zico can handcuff me to him anytimeeee!…Block B is the best thing to happen to kpop in a loooong while!

  • springheart

    I love it! Haha but not something I would listen often cuz it will make me goo goo ga ga. This song definately made them stand out from the rest.

  • ray

    I’ve actually been a fan of these boys since their debut. To be quite honest, their first song “Freeze!” wasn’t a mind-blowing song, but it was secretly my jam for a couple of weeks after I listened to it a few times. Block B is like a breath of fresh air in KPop nowadays because they’re image is so different. I think the members are really talented, especially Kyung and Zico.  I sincerely think that Zico is a gem in the KPop industry, because not only does he have natural swag and stage presence, he’s also extremely talented. 

    But most of all, the main reason I fell in love with them is because of their attitude. They’re the next 2PM for me, in the sense that they’re not afraid to be crazy and weird on camera, and they don’t try to put up a false image. If you haven’t seen them on Match Up, I recommend it because oh my god are they funny. I swear, Zico is the weirdest one of the bunch (probably why I like him so much). 
    I mean, just look at this:

  • Anonymous

    I like them. They have energy, personality, and stage presence. They all manage to stand out even though there’s seven of them. Zico though… wow. He impresses me. His new hair is all types of attractive on him and I’ve seen some of his stuff when he’s freestyling.

    The only part that bothered me is when they handcuffed that girl. It brings back the whole, why do guys in korean dramas always love dragging girls around by their wrists against their will?

    And I thought the ‘battle’ was hilarious. It was quirky. And had lots of energy. It felt like the boys were just being themselves. It kind of reminded me of BAP’s Warrior, but with actual personality instead of a bunch of identical blonde-haired guys yelling and stomping. (That’s not to say I didn’t like Warrior. I did.)

  • Grease Cucumber

    Well, I never expected to write such a long comment but I couldn’t stop myself with just Nallina and, being the shameless Block B stan that I am, I found myself blabbing on about the rest of their songs. Sorry guys… XD

    Let me just straight out say that I am a HUGE Block B fan so be warned: everything I’m going to say is shaded with bias and favour towards the boys.  ;)
    Their new mini-album is fantastic; I cannot find fault with the songs, they’re all extremely well written, performed and produced. They’ve shown noticeable grown in their musicality and performance abilities and I’ve got to give props to Zico and Kyung for learning to adapt and reach a middle ground between pop music meant for the public and the music of the underground.  

    The first song on their mini, LOL, is arguably their best song yet. It’s no surprise what with their background in hip-hop and it could fit in perfectly with any of their mixtapes from their pre-debut days since its’s essentially a diss track to their critics and opponents sans the vulgar language. It’s a VERY fine example of auto-tune done right with Kyung and Zico using it to enhance the track and their voices instead of sounding like rapping/singing robots. Everything about it is perfect: the verbal taunts, the flow of the rapping, the change in tempo, and even it’s brevity – all contribute to the effectiveness of the song’s impact on the listener.  Zico really wasn’t lying when he raps first line into the song,

    ” “Sounds so good” is what you’ll say after this track”. 

    About Nallina (I’m going to call their title song this and not Nanlina as it’s written in hangul because when there is an ‘N’ in front of an ‘L’, it’s pronounced NaLLina), I love the complete energy that comes with the song.  At first glance it may seem like just another one of those run-of-the-mill, shallow, hype songs that basically brag about how great the singer is but once you pay closer attention to the lyrics, the differences emerge. There’s one line in the translated lyrics that goes:

    “Everyone get in line and follow me like a pesticide truck.”

    It’s perfectly understandable if that line leaves you stumped, but it’s actually an ingenious use of allusion to a common occurrence in South Korea: whenever they have pesticide trucks to come along and spray the roads with repellant, they always attract a crowd of neighbourhood children – as seen in the following video,

    It’s basically an inside joke to anyone who’s ever experienced such an occurrence in their childhood. And not something you’d find in “I am the Best”, right? :P

    But my favourite line of the song would have to be, in my opinion, the most clever use of pop culture allusion with the line:

    “What’s my charm?
    Umm – Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.”

    If you’re human and haven’t been living in a cave for the entirety of your childhood, you’d recognize that rhyme right off the bat. It’s just a small detail but the boys who wrote this used it in such an adept and inventive way that it brings a smile to my face.

    So although it may not hold any outright deeper message other than one teenage braggadocio, Nallina can’t be dismissed entirely as being devoid of intellectual value.

      

    The rest of the songs are just as good as stand alone title tracks. “Did You or Did You Not” and “Synchronization 100%” are what I’d call energetic slow R&B songs. They carry the same energy and atmosphere built up in the intro and title tracks while never falling into Ballad territory and use it to create more layer and depth in the mini-abum while not deviating so far from the framework as to sacrifice the continuity in the album’s momentum. 

    Also, can I just add that at the heightened moment in “Did You or Did You Not” at 2:56 when Taeil comes in at a whisper before swooping in to a climactic crescendo – my heart just stops. It’s so damn beautiful. And in contention for being my favourite moment in the mini-album. Actually I have a lot of favourite moments so it’s hard to pick. Heh.

    “Action” is definitely a throwback to the early genre of pop influenced hip-hop and I was reminded of Block B’s performances of their cover of DJ Doc’s Run to You:

    It’s definitely a very upbeat song and I cannot help but bob my head along to the chorus as the Zico, Kyung, and P.O say “action” and “reaction” in the background. The unexpected piano solo was the cherry on top of this cute little number. Once again the details made it stand out from being just another throw-away, filler song to prop up the album.

    For the MV, you mentioned that you found it uncomfortable when Zico put the handcuffs on the girl. Please, don’t be. 

    I know this sounds awkward but this was a music video so it wasn’t Zico himself as he was who acted in that misogynistic manner, it was the character he was playing which was that of a gang leader. A character not particularly famous for it’s adherence to morality or ethical standards. :P

    Oddly enough, when I was racking my brains of similar scenarios with misogyny in other kpop MVs, the first thing that came to mind was B.E.G.’s “Abracadabra”. Would viewers have made more of a commotion if Narsha’s CHARACTER had been a man and she instead played a woman who’s boyfriend attached a bomb to her chest because she had cheated on him? And why didn’t Black Jacks make a ruckus when CL’s character was physically abused by her jerk of an ex in the MV for “Go Away”?  

    None of the people acting out these characters were themselves responsible for their characters’ actions.

    I’m just glad there hasn’t been a huge hullabaloo over this scene in Block B’s MV because I know there are some anti-fans out there with an axe to grind when it comes to Zico (as well as  Kyung, U-Kwon, and pretty much the rest of the group).  

    • Anonymous

      “And why didn’t Black Jacks make a ruckus when CL’s character was
      physically abused by her jerk of an ex in the MV for “Go Away”? ”

      Oh, we did. I was in a chatroom with Blackjacks when the MV premiered and trust me, that’s the first thing we all talked about it. We didn’t like it, it made us sick, we thought it was harsh, but still necessary since it brought light to an issue that isn’t really addressed in K-Entertainment. And I think CL getting abused then snapping out of her stupor and getting the hell over the douche is different than Zico being a douche and handcuffing the girl. Don’t get me wrong, though! I don’t inextricably link Zico with the character or that one offensive action; I just hate when things like that happen in music videos. Leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.

      • Grease Cucumber

        Lol, well thanks for clearing that up for me. I was surprised to see that sort of content being displayed in a kpop music video so good for 2NE1 for not shying away from that serious issue of abuse in relationships.

        Oh, and you misunderstood me when I brought up this MV as an example. I wasn’t comparing the character of CL to the character that Zico played, instead I was looking at the ex in this situation.  There obviously wasn’t a horde of fans out to get this guy who played the ex in the MV since they were aware that he was just playing a character. 

        Characters in MVs that do things such as handcuff girls, beat their girlfriends, and strap bombs to their boyfriends’ chests are there for dramatic/narrative purposes and their actions should never be associated with the real people playing them – unless of course the idols are presented in the MVs as themselves.  But that can be argued to an extent as well because entertainers have that line that they draw between their real lives and their professional lives.

        It’s an interesting topic, really. One which would be a great issue to discuss  here in SB.

        • Anonymous

           Ah, gotcha! And I totally agree. I really enjoyed reading your comments :)

  • Grease Cucumber

    And did anyone else catch the Barack Obama shout-out in LOL? 

    “Yeah black one’s gonna lead you like Barack Obama”

    Putting aside whatever differences in political views you have with Obama, I just want to give Kyung a big hug for bringing in the outside world to the world of kpop. Seriously, I can probably count in one hand the number of kpop songs out there that make references to current world leaders or major events. So far this is the only one that I can think of, lol.

    • Anonymous

      Haha, lol I love your name. Grease Cucumber, greasy indeed. 

      But yeah, I miss their mixtape days and LOL definitely brought me back. Dead President was a brilliant song, lyrically and musically and I missed that side of Zico and if there is one thing about Zico is his talent in rapping. 

      And regarding the handcuffing portion of the mv, regardless of the context of the mv it was completely random and totally unneeded.

      One thing about Zico being a gang leader: hahahaha, he looked more like a frat boy than anything. But it was a cute idea. 

      • Grease Cucumber

        Why thank you! Grease lighting – er, Park Kyung is an inspiration to me. :3

        I know exactly what you mean about missing their pre-debut days. I don’t know about Kyung, but thankfully enough Zico has still been keeping up his involvement with the underground with the featurings that he had done with i11evn, Cho PD, Hanhae, and Verbal Jint last year. It even granted him the honour of being the first idol ever to be nominated in the Hiphop Play Awards for 2011.
         
        And if there was anyone who looked out of character for the MV it was definitely Jaehyo. He wasn’t so much of a rival gang leader to me as he was a pimp. Haha.

        And Gil, Block B has been calling it the Gorilla dance already so no need to take credit, lol. XD

        Actually, if you’ve been watching any of their recent interviews, U-Kwon has been dropping hints about the Gorilla dance since January.

        U-Kwon gets a little crazy at 2:25

        The Gorilla hint was mentioned at 3:19 here

        Oh and btw, sorry to break the bad news to you but once you’ve gotten to know Block B enough to get the joke behind Grease and Cucumber, your officially in the Club. ;)

        Welcome!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/OVZUCUABCDJOTQ3OG6UP5PHNBA Bethany

    On first listen, it just sounded like a hot mess of noise and rapping and random English words mixed in to me… but noisy K-pop songs have a tendency to grow on me after I put it on repeat and try to unravel everything (or drive me crazy). 
    I don’t have a verdict for this song yet, but I did tell myself that I’ll try to give more groups a chance this year, so I guess it’s going on repeat for a day or so…
    Agreed about the confidence and swag factor though. These boys are definitely working it. 

  • Cutelil1forever

    Their MV is super slick and you can just tell how hard the boys have worked on their new song, their new image, everything. They were by far the most promising of out the crazy number of new debuts last year, and I think they’ve lived up to their promise witn nanrina. Sure, it’s not the most insightful song ever, but it’s catchy as hell, and the raps show these boys are no mere idols. Their live performances so far has proven they’ve got the performance chops too. Now, if they can follow this up with some sustained success, I think they’ve got a new converted fan.

  • Dominiquebolden8

    Love it zico killed it

  • http://twitter.com/amyjean92 Amy Jean

    I’m a pretty hardcore BBC here but I understand why some people find Nanlina irritating xD When I listened to the 30 second teaser, I thought it sounded a hot mess. But of course, once I listened to the full version, I was hooked. As one commenter said on YT, Nanlina is supposed to be an in-your-face, cocky, arrogant song that just gets on your nerves (which is why I like it so dang much xD).

    But don’t let Nanlina turn you off to the rest of the mini-album. Welcome to the Block is extremely versatile when it comes to musical genres. I mean “LOL” and “Synchronization 100%” are like ENTIRELY different genres, and they still manage to make it sound amazing. I love how they ventured into different genres without losing their colors while doing them justice. They seriously can’t be labeled a “hip hop idol group” anymore. They’re artists <3

    Anyone who hasn't listened to the mini-album yet should STOP reading this comment and go listen to it NOW :D

  • LOLLOL

    I often misspell it into Narnia.. sounds similar tho..LOL

  • Guest

    “Did you or did you not?” I have that song on replay 24/7. Their title song is catchy, I got tired of it fast though. 

  • http://twitter.com/missyu8shi Yushi Wang

    I’m so happy Block B is back. I got into them after watching MTV Match Up B1A4 and Block B. These boys are just so fun to watch and listen too. ~

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=783536254 Karen Vlqz

    affected I must say, to the point I wanna try the “gorilla” dance some time

  • Nana

    <3

  • Anonymous

    This line is really dangerous

    “I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know but I’m hot, hot. You know what, you know what, I mean, mean.”

    xD Whenever I hear this, perverted thoughts came to my mind. U Kwon is do sexy flapping the jacket and smirking like that…. Ahhh…. Ukwongasm! xD

    • Anonymous

      The first time I heard the song, I swear to the K-pop gods I thought he said “I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know but I’m hard, hard. You know what, you know what, I mean, mean.” The shirt flapping did nothing to persuade me otherwise. O.o

  • Anonymous

    sorry i like the song but the choregraphy  is meh? and the seem just as 2pm and BAP they  try to hard both in the video and their performances  AND THE FUR FASHION FAILURE). they  do not have the SWAG Big Bang members always had, with them its just effortlessly SWAGGALICIOUS

  • thekors

    I thought “goo goo ga ga” was the smartest thing to be inserted into the song. It totally fits!

    But considering the overall mini album, especially since (some of) the boys played a big part in it, I must say other groups have got to be scared. Like, really scared.  Perhaps it’s still too early to judge but their past releases certainly did not disappoint and they’ve managed to constantly churn out good tracks.  Although if I could wish, I would wish for the vocalists to get more parts in their future releases.  Can’t help but to notice that the focus of this mini album is mainly on the rappers.  Granted, they have 2 powerhouse i.e. Zico and Kyung but Tae Il is such a good singer I don’t want him to waste his talent just like that.  And just like P.O., who has improved so MUCH since their debut (no thanks to the many lines he’s got), I guess the other 3 would naturally improve as well, if they’re given the chance to :)

  • http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava

    Ok I didn’t like this song at all two days ago and now I’m completely hooked and can’t stop listening to it lol