Everyone knows I’m a huge Hyori fan. She’s beautiful, hilarious, and entertaining to watch. I have to admit I’ve been out of the KPOP loop for awhile now, but when I saw Hyori’s “Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang” on Perezhilton, I found myself wandering back into the lovely, addicting world of Korean pop culture. Fellow writer hijinx wrote an excellent review of the music video but I couldn’t pass on reviewing Lee Hyori’s comeback as a whole. So students, let’s dissect the Queen of KPOP, Lee Hyori.

You cannot deny this woman’s beauty. Plastic or not, she’s hands down the fairest of them all. She could rock a red line going down her face with a bird defecating on her head and she would still make it somehow look couture and fashionable. Whether she’s waking up to a horn sound in Family Outing with eye boogers and drool coming down the side of her mouth or rocking a shoot for Elle magazine, Hyori manages to captivate fans with her charisma and drop-dead gorgeous looks.

She’s been in the industry for over a decade and yet she still manages to come out #1 in a land where 15-year-old pubescent girls are ruling the magical, musical world with their rhinestone wands and pelvic thrusting spells. She’s 30 years of age but she’s never looked or sounded better.

Back in the days of F.I.N.K.L, she was known for her dance moves and smiling eyes. Unlike her other members, she decided to really stick to her musical guns and continue to pursue the path of a KPOP star. She’s seen it all, the haters, the lovers, the scandals, the highs, and the lows. She’s a veteran in the Korean music industry and understands it to the tee. Producers flock to her like crows over a dead carcass because they know damn well she can sell and turn any song into a numero uno hit. But the question still lies, is Hyori even talented?

Musically, there is absolutely 0 talent. Her vocals are weak, forced, and producers heavily tweak the music to accommodate to her lack of vocal ability. But what I love about Hyori is that she is fully aware that as a singer, she, excuse my French, sucks. She’s realistic and knows that though she’s got that entertainer fire and the looks to rule the world, she doesn’t take that step into the unknown because of her inability to sing a melody or harmonize to a ballad. And this is why she decided not to pursue and conquer Asia like her fellow friends, BoA and Rain. Now, this may not be true but these are what my observations are screaming and this is my op-ed so relax your fingers for a moment before you type a technical tirade in the comment section.

In the world of dance, she’s nothing to write home about. Granted, she’s got a sick body and the body waves to kill a man 3 times over, but there are a million people in this world who would destroy her in a dance battle. Could she kill me with a flick of her hand and twitch of her hip? Hell yes, but her dance moves are the results of years of training and aren’t too impressive.

There are times where I see Hyori perform, and as a viewer and fan, it’s not believable. Don’t get me wrong, everything makes sense. The hair, the outfit, the make-up, the extravagant props in the background, but when she’s performing on the stage, I just don’t believe any of it. It’s when she’s off-stage, acting in a music video drama, movie, or CF where I see her talent and the true essence of who she could potentially be as an actress.

Lee Hyori is on her 4th comeback album and the creation has been dubbed, “H-Logic.” Her comebacks are always exciting to watch. She’s got the money, the producers, and the team to consistently shell out kick-ass MVs, singles, and albums. Her newest comeback is an exact replica of what a Lady Gaga comeback would look like. The wigs, the extravagant outfits, the eccentric story-line. Does Hyori pull this Lady Gaga inspired concept off? Yes. Am I a little disappointed that it wasn’t something original? No, because we don’t expect anything else and as long as there’s a lot of Hyori close-up shots, tummy bearing outfits, and big explosions, we’re all happy.

Despite her weaknesses, Hyori is an entertainer and she’s damn good at what she does. Her personality, acting abilities, and looks overshadow her inability to carry a tune and pop n’ lock for hours. People say she’s a wash-up and she can’t compete with the likes of SNSD, T-ara, or the Wonder Girls but I disagree entirely. None of those girls will ever hold the kind of star power and spunk Hyori does and I say we’ll be seeing Hyori for more years to come.