Music / Idols
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Miss A, I’ve Missed You

39
Written by On February 7, 2012

I have a confession: I am secretly biased towards girl groups.

Okay, so maybe that isn’t a secret at all, as anyone who has ever seen my iTunes Top 25 can and will attest to.  But it’s true, and I’m not sure that I really have a good reason for it (besides the fact that in my head, we’re all best friends and get coffee and have spontaneous dance parties, like, all the time).  It could be that the idea of being a noona fan just turns me off, or that I just really couldn’t take Siwon‘s ridonkulous green Speedo-esque get-up seriously, but I’ve always been a fan of the ladies.

But I’m also a picky girl group fan, and I have my own terrifically complicated system of ranking girl groups according to those I like best, which is as follows: SNSD is always number one, and all the others can duke it out for the coveted number two spot.  As such, the number two spot is consistently in flux; in February 2010, it was totes T-ara, then it became Secret (who held on for quite awhile — you go, girls), and then — then! — it was miss A.

It’s been a long couple of months since miss A concluded their last round of promotions, but AQ Entertainment, a subsidiary company of JYPE, announced last week that miss A would be making a comeback towards the end of the month — and my imagination is already working overtime to conjure up all sorts of potential fierce-osity that might await.

It’s hard for me to talk about miss A without somewhat shamefully admitting that I pretty much couldn’t stand them when they debuted.  I thought the entire concept behind the music video for “Bad Girl, Good Girl” was laughable, didn’t really dig the song, and absolutely hated Jia‘s tacky pink hair.  Though I admired their dancing and thought they put on decent live performances, I was largely uncaring.

“Breathe” promotions didn’t do much to change my mind, either.  Despite again being impressed with their dancing and the quality of their performances, I barely paid them any mind — I’m gonna attribute that one to Secret’s “Madonna” promotions, which I loved to the point of teaching myself the dance (no, I swear, I do kinda-sorta have a life).  I also absolutely hated Jia’s tacky blonde hair — are we noticing a trend here?

And then there was this:

This legit impressed me.  Had I not known upon first listen that they were Korean/Chinese, I might not have suspected it at all, that is how good their English sounded.  To this day, what with the constant “K-pop in America blah blah blah” debate omnipresent in nearly every forum, I’m still surprised that this song didn’t get more attention/airtime/promotion/what have you, or that miss A isn’t often the first name one thinks of when trying to imagine potential success stories in the US.  But beyond that, something about their sound finally resonated with me (and it certainly helped that this song didn’t have a ridiculous “JYP” trolling somewhere in the first 5 seconds — you know what I’m talking about).  Also, just look at that video — how cute was that entire concept?  Maybe I’m just a sucker for behind-the-scenes stuff (how much did I love SNSD’s video for “Him Nae”?  So much).  And Jia’s hair was finally an acceptable color, to the point where I was actually starting to like the way the girls were styled.  Sold, I say — and miss A usurped Secret as my second faves.

And it just kept getting better.  ”Goodbye Baby,” despite the questionable plot of the music video and Suzy‘s cat ears, was literally all I talked about for weeks after it came out (only slightly exaggerating here).  Everything was, to me, on point.  The singing, the dancing, the totally badass rap that, thank the heavens, didn’t sound out of place or smack of IRS, the concept, Jia’s completely awesome hair — everything was just fierce, and I don’t throw that word around lightly.  I usually don’t follow comeback promotions to the point where I have to watch every single performance (I mean, with four music programs a week, it can border on excessive and repetitive), but I was so impressed with miss A’s “Goodbye Baby” stages that I found it necessary to spazz over pretty much all of them.

Since I became a hardcore miss A fangirl, I’ve come to really appreciate the fact that not a single member of miss A could potentially be called “useless” or have her contribution to the overall group effort called into question; therefore, I’d view it almost as a personal insult of all four were not done proper justice by the next round of promotions.  There hasn’t yet been a lot of hype (or any sort of information at all, really) regarding what we fans can expect; teasers, comeback photos, and/or a MV preview have yet to be released.  Nor do we know if we can look forward to a full album or mini album.  However, I think it’s safe to say that we can look forward to something of quality, and I, for one, am counting down the days.

What do you say, SBers?  What are your hopes for miss A’s comeback?  I’m personally hoping that they’ll finally get rid of Min‘s bangs, but you know.  Baby steps.

(Kpop Weekly, AQ Entertainment, say A)

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  • Anonymous

    Oh yes, Min’s bangs. It kinda irked me when all the girls looked so gorgeous in Goodbye Baby and Min was left with bang. Thank God the long hair that she had during some of their performances kinda saved the day. 

    I enjoyed their Bad Girl Good Girl, but not Breathe. Idk, Breathe just sounded weird to me. Love Alone was okay, considering the little promotions that it had, I was still happy that it still managed to create some hype. 

    I hope, I really hope, that they won’t go into cute concept for their comeback. Urgh. No. Just imagining Jia doing aegyo sent shivers through my body. 

    • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

      YO! Breathe was amazing. Some hard Caribbean music right there.

  • Indi

    I lololololove miss A! It’s almost ridiculous, because my thing is more like BEG, but those girls are so professional in eveything they do that it feels real and you actually can remember every member and get to know their personalities and talents. Also, you can feel that the girls are great friends, they cheer for every conquer and they protect each other. Jia is such a great rapper, if you just stop some seconds to pay attention to her rapping you will be amazed by her technique, it’s natural and it feels like she can talk like this, instead of just spouting some meaningless words f, that and the fact that she almost floats while dancing whatever the genre. Fei is gorgeous, has a calm voice that sounds like a bird and a mature character, she is fierce in her dancing moves and naturally feminine. Min is cute, almost inocent, has a powerful voice, great dances moves (she got swag) knows how to improvise and has perfect english pronunciation, since she trained hard for many year in USA. Suzy is considered the face of the group and gets great attention for that, but she is no useless nor talentless doll, she improved a lot in dancing and, despite the fact that her voice lacks more technique, she sounds great and has the kind of charisma that catches you.

    • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

      also, you gotta bear in mind that Korean isn’t Jia’s first language! ><

  • Mafufidvlu

    You should visit miss A’s soompi thread *cough* anyway~ lol “Love Alone” didn’t have the classic “J.Y.P~” but it had “Fuegooo~” XD

    The thing with miss A is that they seem to change their hairstyles after they stop promoting LOL not before. Look at Jia and Min, once GBB promos officially ended in Korea, Jia cut her bangs and changed to a reddish brown darker color with blond-ish extensions, and Min got blonde highlights.

    Last time miss A performed, in Macau, Min had her usual bangs so she will probably have her usual bangs. The only one that seems to be growing them out is Suzy, who sometimes uses clip on bangs x_x

     I think they will all be the same, except no hair extensions and different styling, maybe… ?? 

  • Anima

    Miss A is my favorite girl group evvvaaarrr lol and Min is my bias. The thing is I think they are trying to sabotage her because she is actually so gorgeous with a beautiful body but I don’t understand why her predebut pictures are SO much better than her debut self (same for Jia tbh because Jia is also damn pretty with BLACK hair).

    She looks a lot better without bangs (and dark hair) tbh but at least she has long hair now. Suzy looks prettier with short hair so hopefully she will chop that off one day too.

    I just love them because their music has a laid back feel to it and their personalities are all down to earth but not boring and remind me of me and my friends. They seem genuinely close. I think if any group needs a show, it’s them. I feel like they are kind of underappreciated slightly as a group though but whatever. My only complaint about them is that JYP needs to STOP doing their title tracks all the time~! People buy it because it’s the one they promote sure but there are some other gems imo that could really hit it home in the long run with out that annoying J.Y.P. at the beginning. And his sound is becoming a bit stale too and it’s hindering them a bit ( imo).

    It’s such a shame that they are so well rounded and deserve more fame than they are getting imo but the same can be said about many groups I suppose.

    • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

      Agreed/ Also, some of their songs that haven’t been promoted are wicked! Help Me, Step Up and One to Ten are beautiful.

  • lady

    i have read a fan acc she went to miss a mv shooting and i cant wait for miss a comeback. and i hope min will get a new hairstyle and black hair cause i hate her brown hair.

  • kpopfan

    I like Min & Jia, Suzy is so overrated and I don’t get Fei’s ‘gorgeousness’ (I read somewhere).

    • Japan_qaf

      “gorgeousness” is just an opinion. Maybe she just isn’t your cup of tea. 

      • kpopfan

        Yeah, maybe you’re right. It’s just that it blew me to find Fei on Seoulbeats’ beauty/gorgeous list before, over some other idols. I’ll choose Min anyday! But yeah, that’s my opinion.

  • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

    Min looked better when she had short hair. I love miss A, they’re my bias group. With more promotion and consistent music they could become one of the top girl groups. I like their image and I like the fact that they’re not contradictory with their songs *cough 2NE1 cough*

    I wish JYP would stop screaming his f*cking initials all over their songs. And that Fei spoke more. And they did more variety… I WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN SHOW! It’d be nice if the other members were pushed into other areas of entertainment namely Jia and Fei. Both Suzy and Min have done acting work but I want my Chinese babies to promote themselves! Jia would do really well on variety, and I’m sure Fei would make a great MC.

    • Anonymous

      I like their image and I like the fact that they’re not contradictory with their songs *cough 2NE1 cough*

      ^ What is that suppose to mean?

      And I agree about JYP whispering his name all over everyone’s songs. He needs to take a break from that! haha

  • Japan_qaf

    yeah…me and you…we wouldn’t be friends. We don’t have anything in common lol. Although, I do like Miss A. I liked them since they debuted, because i liked the concept ^///^ and I loved Jia’s pink and blonde hair :3 Baby Goodbye…It was okay, the rap threw me off though, it’s alright but I felt like it could have been better without it.

    I did like Secret during I Want You Back, but then they came back with Madonna or was it Mazic they did first? idk!

    Anyway, I hope they come out with some really great music! I always look forward to Miss A, they’re the only JYP group I like.  

    • Haee.

      Yep I totally agree with you. I loved miss a from the beginning and I liked Kia’s hair. Though I did find Jia’s rap in Goodbye Baby ok. I really hope they come back with a greeaattt song though! In excited!

    • Anima

      They are the only JYP group I like too lol.

  • Dijone88

    I’d like to see them promote a ballad. They don’t seem to sing that many slow songs. The only slow song that they sang that I know of is Blankly (if someone wants to correct me, I’m all ears).

    • Lilo

      And that’s such a beautiful song! I love their performance singing it!

  • michelle zanoria

    For me Miss A in terms of talent is honestly one of the top as an idol group, the members can sing and dance their buts off in the studio and live. When do you have a group that can consistently sing and dance without any dead weight? 2ne1 has Dara, Wonder Girls has Sohee, SNSD had Sooyoung, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Tara – Jiyeon, Hwayoung, Qri, Boram…….and you get the picture. The only one who rivals miss A with their ability and completeness is Sunny Hill. There is no denying that Suzy is the face but she is no extra. She is actually talented so for that I don’t mind so much. I just wish Jia and Fei were promoted more because their just plain awesome.

    • Anonymous

      I disagree Brown Eyed Girls could easily rival Miss A as well. >_<

      • michelle zanoria

        I don’t count BEG as an idol technically they are but I see them more than just that. Also BEG has the vocal talent, no deny that but can any one of them really dance?

        • Indi

          That’s exactly my point, BEG don’t do any difficult, or more elaborated dance, because they don’t need it, they’re not idols, they are singer that need their voices in perfect state and the emotions that the songs require. That’s how I see it.

      • Indi

        But BEG girls are in another level! They can easily make an awesome show, only with acoustic songs, because they are THAT good with their insane voices, without having to move their hips. Miss A are idols, they have to DANCE, sing, have charisma, show the idol stuff kind of magic, all that in the same time with a choreography and they are one of the best in what they do, without weak links.

  • Coffee

    Miss A is my favorite girl group, but I’ve had quite a different experience. Their debut song, to this day, still stands as one of their strongest releases (for me, at least). And despite falling in love with their most recent album, Goodbye Baby was just a mediocre release for me.

    It could be that my expectations were too high (most likely the case), but just commenting that what sold me on them was definitely their debut. That, and the fact that all members are so well-rounded. Talent-wise, there’s no big glaring hole that’s evident in most girl groups. Suzy, despite being the youngest and the ‘face’ of the group, fares pretty well vocal-wise. She’s not the best at dancing (when compared to Min, Jia, and Fei, I think that’s understandable) but puts on a good performance. She’s slowly starting to become my favorite in the group, but I can see why her overexposure may turn off some fans. But seriously… Min’s got great vocals and can definitely move, and that can be said equally for both Fei and Jia. I really feel like this is the most powerful group JYP has out there right now (dare I say, they even beat the WG?). 

    Hah, being this biased, it makes it hard for me to make an objective comment. I’m glad that they’re getting more recognition, and I hope their endeavors in China are a huge hit :)

    • Coffe

      And! Everyone, you should go check out the songs on their album(s). It’s worth your time!

  • ME

    Dear Dana,
    You have the same story line with me. I dislike Miss A on their first debut until ‘Breathe’. I had to admit that I only knew them since they in the same company as 2PM and WG. However, this changed drastically when I heard Goodbye Baby. 

    After that song, I frantically searched up and down for those beautiful, talented Jia, Fei, Suzy and Min. Suzy I knew since the day of Dream High 1. I am sorry, but her acting and her voice didn’t attract me back then. 

    After the MV, came the performances – a solid one. I love how they used chairs as dance-prop. You have to be precisely calculate your move and timing, if you don’t want the chair to kick you back… kekeke… And that MAMA 2011′s performance, even Siwon could not take his eyes off Jia (yep, she is my favourite; with REDish hair). Fei is fierce dancer well, see her move doing tango with Chansung. When 2 of your favourite groups perform together, you can’t do nothing but scream and faint (don’t care in which order scream or faint comes first). 

    I surely wish JYP gives more of his songs and effort to promote more Miss A, which on one other hand, I think he already does (by appoint AQ Ent.). With 2PM, 2AM, WG, San E, Joo and  JB + Jr. plus his acting careers, if he can compose several songs for all those groups + Dream High 2, I am grateful enough. The thing is, JYP knows his artists very well, the strength and the lack of each group/artist, thus he can compose songs suit best to each one of them (I talking general here, nobody’s perfect). 

    I can’t wait for their comeback, 7 months is tooooooooo looooonnnnggggg… 
    PS: please come back with a good complete package and no auto-tune, yes?
    Thank you,
    your fan, sincerely,
    ME

  • Guest 007

    I hate how miss A doesn’t really have a strong vocalist among them. They all have an equal level of singing and dancing skill… It’s just really blah to me. I can’t tell who’s singing what unless I watch their MV/performances. It didn’t help that GBBB sounded an awful lot like BGGG and “Breathe” was hideous.

    I like them a lot more than I like the present day Wonder Girls, though. Nothing can beat 2007-2008 WG, but “Be My Baby” was awful and I hate Lim.

    • http://twitter.com/denzelwynter アシュリ (Ashley)

      Go and watch the live performance of One to Ten. 

  • Nicolas

    Love alone is one of my favourite songs of this millennium! I can’t believe they didn’t promote it more they could have cought worldwide audience with it.

  • Bua

    Glad you’ve missed them cuz I missed these girls so much too.

    I always have a soft spot for JYP artists so once upon a time I couldn’t decide who I liked better between WG and miss A but the more I watched their performances, the more it’s easy for me to make up my mind cuz miss A is the answer for everything.

    They are talented. They are gorgeous and they all are excellent performers.

    I think miss A is so underated. With all girl groups out there, miss A is one of the best in term of quality in my opinion.

    I hope with this comeback, they will rise to popularity and fame that they deserve.

  • Aaaaaaaaa

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  • Anonymous

    to this day i can not understand for the life of me why people like SNSD( except sunny and hoyeon) especially since so many other groups boys or girls are pretty much better than them at everything

    • xian1989

      i think we’re sharing the same thoughts…

      • Anonymous

        i am glad someone else is has thought about this, usually i get threats when i talk about SNSD lol

  • Anonymous

    I knew Jia was good I didn’t know she was this good of a dancer:

    I think Miss A is a great group and certainly is one of more talented groups to debut. I wouldn’t say Suzy is a weak link. She actually has pretty good vocals and her dancing has improved. Even if she isn’t the best dancer the others aren’t given watered down material. Their coming back soon and I’ll be watching like a hawk. I loved all of their material they put out (yes…even breathe). I hope JYP ups the anty because I think these girls could be given so much more.

  • Anonymous

    JYPE just need good marketing for Miss A, they could easily have a fanbase like 2PM if JYPE tried.

  • Blossemcup4

    I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of miss A, but I have enjoyed everything they’ve come out with. I don’t really care for girl groups when it comes to personality, but I think I would enjoy watching miss A in their own variety show. Jia’s hair never really bothered me no matter what color it was. I actually really enjoyed the rap in “Goodbye Baby”; I kind of wish I could learn it but it goes too fast for me. I like that they have never tried to do cute concepts and have stayed with one strong image.

  • http://twitter.com/ryzlbrmudz Rayzel Bermudez

    I usually don’t follow girl groups. Period. But I began warming up to a few groups and am definitely loving miss A. 

  • Noona971

    Same thing, at first I did’nt care about them as “and here comes JYP 2NE1 like girl group”, i tought “bad girl good girl” was bluh and could’nt understand either the hype or the praise about them (YG fan maybe ^^). “Breathe” bored me to hell and sound to me as a messy song, but in some twisted way I was frustrated because I still sould’nt understand Miss A while I had the feeling everyone esle did. But “Love alone” stunned me (maybe it was because it was in english so easier to listen) and then “Goodbye Baby” pulled out of my fog and I’ve to admit Jia that I could’nt stand before is my ultimate bias, her rap in goodbye baby was awesome. They’re really talented, maybe not mt favorite girl group but still talented. Hope they gonna have a strong comeback.