Music / Idols
20110911_kara

KARA: Solo Songs for All?

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Written by On February 8, 2012

Of all the female K-pop groups that I would expect to branch out as soloists, I wouldn’t have KARA  under consideration to be on the list. KARA has an upcoming Korean album on the back-burner, but it’s being reported that prior to that, each member will release a solo single.

No disrespect to KARA fans, as the group has always personally been very hit or miss with me. However, the one thing that intrigues me about them pulling this off, is that KARA screams conformity. Not necessarily in a bad way, but when singing, their voices end up all having very similar depth, breadth and pitch, which more often than not meld together onto a singular melody line. It gives them a unique sound that can be appealing on some songs (“Lupin”), but mediocre or annoying on many others (“Jumping”).

In many ways, KARA operates differently from other popular girl groups. In a typical setup each member has their designated role — rapper, visual, lead vocal — in fact, one of the things that irritates me most about current K-pop is many girl groups will normally have one to two decent vocalists at most, while the number of members gets larger and larger. In that sense, it’s not so negative that KARA has such a united front. They do have a rapper (Nicole) but I will say she sings just as often as she raps.

That’s why it’s a shame I can’t get on the KARA love train more often than not. They have a lot of things going for them as a group (obviously). However, when performing, it’s as if they try to tackle all their songs in the same key (Chippette) and for me, it ruins and or simplifies some great songs that could have been much better. Take their first hit song, “Honey.” I close my eyes, I can’t tell who is who; I open them, I still can’t tell who is who.

Yes, we could excuse it, it was their soft, sweet image and their first rookie hit that made it big. Hey, but then “Mister” comes along, a song with a simple hook, infectious chorus and next to no variation in their singing, and by the way, look at our backsides!

“Magic” is probably my favorite KARA song from their Revolution 2 album, because it’s one of the few times that they’re not screaming in unison. Their light voices are used to a wonderful, soothing effect here (I used to relax to this song). I would heartily vote for more from them in this vein, but unfortunately, why stop when you have a good thing going?

There is an increased interest in solo singers making a comeback as of late, not in small part due to IU’s recent chart dominance, as well as the recent spate of solo projects and sub-units: GD&TOP, Taeyang, Orange Caramel, Rainbow Pixie, HyunA, Trouble Maker and I’m sure I’m missing a few. Sub-units in K-pop aren’t new, but if I’m not mistaken, in the past we never tended to see girl groups fraction or individually work on projects unless they were about to break off permanently (as evidenced in the careers of Hyori and Seo In-young). Granted, there are more exceptions than not nowadays, and I can’t blame anyone for wanting to narrow down the names on a check from five (or 13) to one or two.

However, going back to KARA: with the exception of  Seungyeon and Nicole, they seem an odd choice to have group members expressing themselves musically. While to the hardcore fans all the group members have their individual quirks and roles within the quintet, to K-pop fans at large, I’m not sure people think that they would see something different in a Jiyoung song than they would see in a Goo Hara song. KARA is a group that heavily depends on its parts to create their successful whole.

2NE1 is an example of a group that was in contrast, borne and bred to tackle more individual projects. They are noticeably distinct from one another in musical style and ability and recorded individual songs almost as soon as they debuted (CL and Minzy, Dara, Park Bom). In fact, Bom has had  her own song on every album they have released so far. However, while Bom is someone I could realistically see holding her own solo career, Jiyoung… not so much.

I am willing to reserve judgement; it’s never a bad thing for group members to have the opportunity to express themselves independent of one another. Perhaps there’s a death metal rocker itching to reveal itself in Hara. Stranger things have happened.

Are you excited for solo songs from these gals? Or are you just jonesing for more Kara in general?

(Soompi)

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  • http://twitter.com/nas_election Nasuha Solo

    Ooh it will be awesome if someone from them will do rock genre but I don’t know if Hara can pulled it off. I am wholly agreed with you for the solo. I think only seungyeon can pass as having a solo. I’m hoping DSP has good music in stores for us.

  • http://twitter.com/gaineson GaIn lover

    I hope they are just kidding…most of them can’t sing to save their lives.

  • Anonymous

    Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara have had solo song before, all for drama OST. Seungyeon sounded best, and Gyuri was okay. Hara kinda surprised me with her voice. It’s still not good enough, but it’s decent for her solo. I don’t know much about Nicole and Jiyoung though. 

    I don’t know either if it’s a new way in K-pop (to have each members released solo before the group comeback), but imo I think it’s pretty clever. By having each member having a solo at first, it will prepare the fans (and general audience) and build more excitement towards the group’s release. So yeah, assuming that everything will go well (and DSP will not trolling fans with teasers. Yes SM, I am talking about you), I think it’s a good strategy.

  • Xswtinnocencex

    Nicole is actually going to do a duet instead of a solo. I think she has a beautiful voice. Here is a video of her singing a few years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UycMS4w51zY

    I’m actually quite excited and hopefully this will help them improve even more than they already have.

  • happyslip

    I believe that with the right material, all of them can pull a decent to good (or great) solo. Of course actual stage charisma and live performance capability is a different matter but as for the actual songs, personally I don’t think it’s going to be a big problem unless DSP screws up with the song choices or something. 

    More than hearing them singing alone, I would like to see who among them can perform well onstage (capturing the audience, etc) without the other members to back them up. Having excellent vocal skills do not equate to great solos all the time anyway.  

  • Bua

    I’m sorry Kara fans but Kara, to me, is one of the least talented groups out there and I really can’t understand their popularity.

    None of the members is a strong singer and none makes me want to listen to their song.

    BTW, are Hara going to have her solo song for real? Ummm after watched the clip of her singing solo, I wish she would never sing again. I’m sorry Hara but you should never ever sing. It hurts my ears badly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mashitah-Zainal-Abidin/100000267765237 Mashitah Zainal Abidin

    Maybe I’m being skeptical but just by reading the title of this article making me lol. sorry~ But hey, who knows if they can surprise everybody. Cross your fingers tight!

  • Anonymous

    i think only 
     Seungyeon  or Nicole can go solo..Gyuri,not so much,i have watch their mr removed performance and that didn’t impress me at all..Gyuri suck at sing live..Hara,just don’t give microphone to her,she better stick to variety show and acting..Jiyoung,she can singing live,that shocked me when I watched that video..but she not ready yet to go solo,just give her 2 or 3 years..

  • Anonymous

    I think this(solos) will do with the help of autotune, a lot of special effects or whatsoever and an eye-catching video. :P

  • http://twitter.com/simpledm xelo truo

    I don’t listen to them as much as a group (not much into their music); so I probably wouldn’t listen to their solo (maybe if there are extremely good reviews). Good luck to them as soloists, they proved everyone wrong with the popularity in Japan – maybe they’ll do the same with their solos.

  • Arbitrary_greay

    Are they releasing these solo singles in Japan? Then I look forward to them. Japan has done well with their weak-voiced soloists simply by giving them excellent material musically. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FS52P3WGP37JJ6YJNRLPPBVS4E A

    It’s curious that you would analyze their group songs to hint at how their [potential] solo careers might go rather than look at the solo songs that they ALREADY did.
    Though not a Kamilia, I do know of KARA’s pre-5 member career, and find their first album to be really impressive.

    This is a group that tends to do some really diverse OST and collab works that go largely unnoticed, and what they do promote as hits paints them as a generic and untalented pop group. It’s a shame.

    • MqN

      KARA pre-5 was by far the most vocally talented group. Ah, I miss Sunghee. =/ still breaks my heart till this day. 

      I haven’t follow them as closely these days but did think Step was a nice sound for them. 

  • Meep

    I don’t think you can judge how their solo song’s go based on how they perform as a group. In general I think people hop on the “KARA can’t sing” bandwagon because Kara has always been the “go-to” group to beat up on (after everyone converted from STAND to SONE) when in reality, in terms of idol singing they are on-par with what is expected or not expected in terms of singing and dancing ability. While both 2NE1′s and SNSD’s performance abilities are overrated Kara’s is generally underrated. They definitely know how to put on a show which is the key point of being an entertainer. If you watch them at Best Hits in Japan, you’ll see why Kamilia generally don’t understand the KARA hate. Kara is a good group, much better than what people give them credit for. 

    “screaming in unison?” Sorry, do not comprehend. Especially since KARA is one of those groups who sings so softly most of the time that you hear the backing track or fan-chants more then you can hear them singing. Most of the times, especially for Hara, Jiyoung and Seungyeon, they are singing so softly I can barely hear them over the music. Hara does go off tune alot and sometimes Seungyeon’s voice is prone cracking but I think KARA puts alot more effort into performing than most other groups.

    “chippette?” oh come on, that is so overused and definitely not true. Sure they sing in a higher pitch then most girl groups but that’s because the voices of the members are generally more higher pitched than average, I mean, have you heard Gyuri speak? Not quite helium, but definitely close.

    idk, I guess I just don’t get all the flack KARA gets about their voices when in actuality, they are pretty good performers. They do sing live a large majority of the time that I have seen them, and Seungyeon, Jiyoung and even Hara really help to hold down the chorus so that Gyuri and Nicole DON’T give it that chipmunk sound.

    I guess I’m just different in that of all the groups I expect to have the most longevity and sucess after being an idol, KARA and T-ara have always been at the top of my list. All of the girls have performed solo OST’s and all have sounded nice, even Hara. They have also all been different types of songs.

    It just seems like you didn’t thoroughly research these things before writing and just jumped on the “kara singing? OH NO!” bandwagon. Each of them has performed a solo song before. I think Kara has alot more talent and potential than people give them credit for. They just don’t have the overly obnoxious fans shoving them down your throats and telling you how stupid you are for not liking them. I respect Kamilia alot, which is why I give Kara a chance. Others should too,

  • Guest

    Being a Kamilia, I totally understand that KARA is not an amazingly vocally talented group, but I really disagree with part of this article. KARA is a naturally, higher pitched, vocally high and thin vocal group. They has a “cute” image and hook songs- that is their signature, but that also restrict the vocal ability of the members. 

    Without Sunghee, (the vocal powerhouse), they have lost their main vocals. Sure, Seungyeon’s good, but she can’t achieve the power and depth Sunghee has, nor does she have a voice very different to say, Nicole or Jiyoung. Gyuri plays her role well; she’s a lead singer, and in classical kpop terms, the lead does the high, more complex notes (ex: her “I will never forget about you yeah in STEP) and she has the most vocal control of the group and the most unique voice. However, as good a vocalist (and a rapper) as she is, her reputation precedes her and she has many antifans because of her “image”. This what rubbed me the wrong way about this article; if you’re going to talk about KARA’s vocal ability, wouldn’t you at least give an opinion on the LEAD singer, who was not even mentioned in the article? Plus, she is in a musical, and if she was another Hara, trust me she wouldn’t be casted in a musical no matter how pretty or popular she is.

    Nicole is a good singer and a eh rapper (if you listen to some of their other songs and radio appearances, you’ll realize that Gyuri pwns Nicole in rapping skill) She holds her own and does most of the adlibs in the group.

    Jiyoung, again has a non-standout voice, but she sings pretty well, and she doesn’t weigh the group down.

    Hara has the lowest voice, and the fewest number of lines, which makes sense since she, not matter how her loyal fans deny it, can’t not really sing live at all. But she’s the visual and really popular.  So… she does have a use, and since she has so many fans, releasing a single will probably draw lots of fans anway. 

    I just want to say, yeah all of KARA does not have great vocals, but that does not mean they all can’t sing. If you still think so (your standard might be BEG) , you are entitled to your own opinion, but please do some more research before you write a published article. :)

    • Anonymous

      Thank you for this :) I really respect a fan who acknowledges her idol as a human too which has imperfections. Now I understand why a lot of people told me that Kamilias are really nice people.

      • Guest

        I really think it’s because KARA has gone through so much as a group that they are very close and tight. We as fans can only admire them for their strength through everything, so we believe that KARA is a group that does not need fans to defend their dignity because they’ve outlasted changes in members, not getting awards for 2 years, lawsuits, being the underdog, etc. KARA is a strong group, and crazy fans will only hinder them. :)

  • M Ng

    goo hara can’t sing to save her life… sorry but it’s true.

    nicole is right behind her in that department.

    the rest of them are alright, nothing crazy good but I wouldn’t mind hearing them sing…

    so that’s about 1/2 of the group that can’t really sing :). but for some strange reason their songs are real catchy and easy to listen to, and you have to give them credit for that.

  • http://www.twitter.com/veiledheart VeiledHeart

    I think it could go ok. They just have to work with what they have. Some of them are a little thin vocally, but neither Hyuna nor Kim Hyun Joong are winning awards because of their singing abilities and their solo careers have worked out well so far (and they’re not the only ones). 
    I feel like Kara is actually a versatile group concept-wise. They’re believable doing their cuter stuff as well as doing more Mr. or Lupin stuff. I can see Jiyong and Seungyeon coming out with something more like their Japanese (Go Go Summer-ish) stuff and Hara and Nicole going down the Lupin/Mr. path. Gyuri would be somewhere in the middle with a ballad or mid-tempo song. I like them as a group partially because no one person seems to be so much bigger/better than the other members. They appear (on stage at least) to be a cohesive unit. When other groups break off to do solo projects, it’s usually obvious who will do the best. With Kara, even with Goo Hara being the face, I feel that given the right material all of them could potentially shine equally as bright. Is it likely that it will work out that way, probably not, but they have a better chance than most groups. 

  • Invitado1

    ok!!!

  • asianromance

    I can sort of almost tell Nicole and Gyuri from the others and Nicole and Gyuri from each other in that Gyuri sounds like Nicole but with more control and can hit the higher notes. It would be interesting to hear what they will be singing for their solos. I know some of them have already done solos in OSTs and held their own well, but as for something that gets promoted and more airplay than in a kdrama – dance music seems the way to go these days, though I think these girls would work better with slower songs/ballads. 

  • jen

    Almost everyone has an opinion on KARA but most people have never really listen to them in any great depth. Wish people would hop off the bandwagon that they can’t sing. They have never been given material that plays to their strengths. No one is going to argue that they are really talented in singing but at least as a group they can sound unified. What’s the point of a group if they are all soloist?

    I have never loved KARA’s development vocally of Gyuri and Nicole (they sound like dolphins vs. how they sounded back on 07′) but Seungyeon and Jiyoung have made tremendous progress. Hara has two strikes against her. 1. Weakest vocally (lack breathing. while not tone deaf have no talent in singing) 2. KARA songs are really high which works against her vocal range (low for a girl).

    But hey this could be a disaster or something great. Talent is very rarely anything to go by for solos. Hyori wasn’t even the most popular back in the day (or most talented). Song and stage presence will probably be the two factors determining if this is success or failure.

    • Mgflutie87

      Nothing could save their terrible voices not even doing a scremo song

  • http://twitter.com/MonicaDBSK Monica

    Kara’s always been a hit or miss with me too. Mostly miss. What doesn’t appeal to me most about Kara is that their voices are all the same in tone and pitch, all high and girly. Since sunghee left, there was no one else with a deeper tone of voice to balance out the group’s sound. So instead of of stop listening to a song because I’m bored of it, with Kara, I stop listening because they start to sound annoying. I will give some props to Gyuri though, her voice, though high and girly, is very pretty and she can carry a tune very well. She’d be great in a group with a well-rounded sound. Hara can’t sing, Nicole sounds very grating and should stop trying do vibrato, jiyoung and seungyeon is meh. I’m strictly talking about their music and vocals, that aside, I do like the girls for their personalities and such.

  • Mgflutie87

    Haha I’m curious to see how much they autotone the screeching gopher aka Goo Hara. I’m expecting poor to shitty for a shitty ass ugly group so…

  • Anonymous

    I think KARA seems to be a group that most people just don’t really have an opinion about (in the international KPOP arena, at least). I don’t dislike them, but I don’t find myself looking forward to any of their comebacks or greatly enjoying any of their performances either.

    I do, however, think KARA can put on a good performance. They have a lot of stage presence and I don’t get bored half-way into their performances like a lot of other groups. But on the other hand, I do think that they may be one of the weakest groups when it comes to actual vocal talent. After being in kpop for a while I did think these girls’ voices were alright and didn’t understand when people criticized their voices. I mean, they don’t sound much worse than most other girl groups.

    And then I watched performances that weren’t kpop. And then I understood that people who are in the business of performing music should be able to sing better than these girls. I have no problem with the girls, but when people so readily deny that the girls are weak vocally… I just don’t understand. The songs they have are, of course, tailored to their voices, but if they were to sing a song that needed more than a whispery voice or high-pitched tone, it would sound pretty bad. It’s clear that A LOT of girl groups do have a member that seems to be lacking in the vocal department, but KARA seems to be a group that lacks a member that actually excels with their vocals.

    The reason I can’t see any of the girls going solo is because their work as a group doesn’t really have its own sound either. If I hear a 2NE1 song, I automatically know that it’s 2NE1 and each of the girls, like the author stated, was presented with a distinct personality and sound right from the debut. KARA has jumped from the angels in white to jump suits and booty shakes to electro with pulsating black and yellow, and there hasn’t been one musical style that strings any of the songs together. Like T-Ara, the songs go with the concepts instead of the concepts going with the songs. And most girl groups have the same problem.

    Other than 2NE1 and BEG, I can’t really think of a girl group that would have sucessful solo work in which each girl would have a distinct sound. And those girl groups have already done it. 

  • Anonymous

    lol at people being skeptical over them while in actually they’re all ever did some solo and duet before as individual.. and people who said they can’t sing; a lame excuse for a hater

  • Anonymous

    my guess is that DSP gave them too hard a dance routine.for them to sing well,you would have to cut down on the dance routine a bit.plus give hara some vocal training.jiyoung needs it too.as for my take i think gyuri and nicole has quite stable voices.

  • Dijone88

    I can’t see any of them making a good solo song. To me they work well and sound good (relatively) as a group, but I just don’t think any of them could put on especially exciting/good performance by themselves. Maybe in a different group (I would list some examples, but I can’t think of any right now), the idea of solo projects wouldn’t seem so weird.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002246424014 Tiaralover Diadem

    that would be the worst decision that their company will ever make.