Coming out of the small company Winning Insight M Entertainment, MR.MR is one of the many rookie groups that debuted amongst the mass influx of boy bands of last year, but has remained in relative obscurity. Part of breaking out of that is the right music and the right marketing to set themselves apart.
While promoting their debut “Who’s That Girl?” in October last year, the quintet proved that they were talented vocalists but unfortunately lacked the right music. “Who’s That Girl?” was interesting and catchy, but what makes MR.MR different is their lack of rapping. They focus solely on vocals, and “Who’s That Girl?” was just not the right song to highlight that.
Their second single “Highway” took a step forward, as the song proved to be more suited for their emphasis on vocals, and this was evident in their live performances. They stepped up their game all around with stronger choreography and a better music video, though with a confusing plot line. Now, MR.MR has released their first mini-album with the eponymous promotional single “Waiting for You,” and they seem to have finally figured out their musical direction.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC-dmjmbMos]We open with a bride running through the woods as Tey, the groom, searches for her. Flashback to the bride sitting at a sewing machine as she makes her wedding dress. We switch back to the present where Tey is with the other members, his groomsmen. They take pictures and wait for the bride so the wedding can start. They are strangely lacking in bridesmaids or even other guests.
The bride rides in her cute little white car with a bouquet of pink balloons tied to it, heading to the wedding location. Then, suddenly, we find her stranded on the side of the road. She takes off her shoes and walks to get assistance. Of course, time is passing, and Tey thinks that he’s got a runaway bride on his hands.
We flashback to another scene, this time an argument. She cries as he walks away upset. Then we get another flashback — that wasn’t the only fight they’ve had, and Tey’s belief that she’s bailed on the wedding makes sense.
But then we get more flashbacks, this time of good times, he hugs her, and she smiles. He jokes with her as they sit on the couch.
Back in the present, it’s night time, and Tey is still waiting for her but he’s now alone. He decides to call her, which you’d think he would’ve done earlier. But it wouldn’t have mattered since Tey soon finds out that she left her cell phone at home.
He returns to the wedding location where she has finally arrived. The two decide to eat cake themselves then apparently get married on their own it seems, though I don’t know why there are candles on a wedding cake. I’m also not sure where the forest scenes fit in with all of this even though they are gorgeous shots of scenery.
The music video is beautifully shot. The cinematography is lovely, and the color palette is simple with lots of white and black accented by the green of the foliage and forest. It has a nice warm tone throughout that makes the bittersweet lyrics seem a little bit sweeter, especially with the happy ending.
While the track is far from perfect, “Waiting for You” actually lets their vocals take the lead. Unfortunately, their vocals more than surpass it, making it somewhat disjointed. At the chorus in particular, the music is just too subdued.
This song has a definite rock ballad vibe. Since they clearly don’t plan to be a ballad group — though their ballads on their mini-album are the strongest — rock ballads would be the perfect direction for them as they tend to straddle the line of ballad and dance.
And the chorus would’ve been the perfect place for that to shine, but the guitar is too faint when it should’ve taken the lead there. Plus, the higher notes seem to be in the weaker end of their range, and since the vocals are so bare musically, it becomes more obvious.
The choreography seems rather unnecessary, mainly due to its flimsiness; the five of them seem awkward and out of step with each other. It doesn’t help that the shots over the choreography transition quickly so we don’t ever get a good look at the whole composition. Since this is not really a dance song, it would’ve strengthened the music video to leave it out and instead develop the plot line more.
MR.MR have talent. That much is clear from any song or performance, and they’ve finally found the right music to showcase that. By straying away from the straight electronic dance music of previous singles and going more into the ballad genre, “Waiting for You” lets MR.MR show their vocal prowess. Now, they just need to take it further and push the envelope more.
Rating: 3/5
(Winning Insight M Entertainment, YouTube)
