It’s time to recap the highlights of the week’s music shows! This week we’ve seen a mix of old and new, with performances from IU, MYNAME, Kahi, and more. The comeback of Park Ji-yoon and the debut of TOPP DOGG are also thrown into the mix. Here are some notes on some of the week’s standout performances. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments!
Wheesung’s “Brand,” KBS Immortal Song 2, October 26, 2013
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNoSTzvDmUk]Wheesung has been quite busy since his August release from the military, but his appearance on the Lim Jae-bum special on Immortal Song 2 this week was a great treat. His voice is so powerful and smooth, and he treats the cover as his own. It has the usual swells and momentum build-ups as a standard ballad, but Wheesung’s performance is definitely worth a second listen. Moreover, I’m interested in the new album he’s reportedly working on.
SHINee’s “Everybody,” MBC Music Core, October 26, 2013
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xYbzqVFTHU]It’s strange that this is my favorite performance of “Everybody” this week, since it has the worst outfits and, without a doubt, some of the worst camera work. I’m not sure what the cameraperson was going for, but some of the strange angles and cuts didn’t benefit the dance at all. I did notice that Minho did the arm-propeller move, which makes me wonder how much damage that intense motion is doing to Onew. Other than that, SHINee is starting to sing more of the song live, and they do a decent job here, especially given the aerobic style of the choreography.
AOA’s “Confused” KBS Music Bank, October 25, 2013
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5AL_FFh6_Y]AOA caught my eye this week with their song “Confused.” The beginning of the dance is interesting to watch, as they’re not all doing the same move. Too often, larger girl groups rely on either synchronized choreography or domino-effect motions that play on their numbers, so I liked the slight chaos of AOA’s initial stage. Although I think AOA will unfortunately fall through the cracks due to the amount of high-profile comebacks, they have a good song and performance in “Confused.”
Nine Muses’ “Gun” KBS Music Bank, October 25, 2013
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYwiHIwUPeU]Nine Muses had another week of strong performances of performances, but while I do believe the chairs add a nice element of dimension to the stage, I do wish the chairs were utilized more in the choreography. The song comes across much cuter onstage than it did in the video, but maybe that’s because of all of the sweet smiles. All in all, I’m still enjoying this comeback.
Kahi’s “It’s Me,” SBS Inkigayo, October 27, 2013
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3oUsD-L28o]Kahi has always shown incredible stage presence, but her connection with the camera, the crispness of her movements, and the confidence and authority with which she dances made it hard to blink through this performance of “It’s Me.” “Come Back, You Bad Person,” tried to capitalize on drama and heavy dance beats to highlight Kahi’s skills, but I think the easygoing sultriness of “It’s Me” gives her much more to work with, and Kahi definitely delivers here.
