After Sistar‘s summer hit “Loving U” in 2012, it’s no surprise that fans were anticipating their next summer tune. “Loving U” hit all the right spots for a fun summer song, so did “Touch My Body” achieve the same result?
While “Touch My Body” is still a fun little tune to dance along to during the hot summer months, this track by no means tops any of Sistar’s previous successes. While it’s understandable that it’s tough to constantly up your game, this track might instead disappoint some of the fans who were expecting something… more impressive, more standout.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9txzvu6eQuw]
The song and MV are by no means terrible. In fact, the video has most of the essential elements of a happy summer MV – catchy chorus, ‘unique’ point choreography, bright colours and outfits and, most importantly, skin exposure. Although the title alone is considerably more provocative than “Loving U,” it doesn’t head into sleazy territory since the sexiness is mixed in with a dash of fun.
“Touch My Body” is somewhat of a suggestive song, pleading for a guy’s touch in order to feel sparks and all things awesome. The instrumental is peppered with horns and saxophones, and the synths are well-placed to make for a very pleasant and easy listen. The intermittent whoops and constant beat of the drums draws the listener in, maintaining a relevant and exciting beat. However, the song itself is standard K-pop fare and doesn’t really break new boundaries for Sistar.
That said, Hyorin and Soyu‘s vocals save this song from venturing into the world of meh-songs. Hyorin’s ad-libs and vocal gymnastics during the chorus are by far my favourite thing about this song, brightening the whole structure of the song. Dasom even manages to deliver relatively well with a whole verse to herself, and, yeah… Bora raps. For a pretty average song, I would say Sistar definitely elevated it with their great delivery.
From the title itself, it is expected that the lyrics would encompass a whole slew of sexual allusions, although you couldn’t really tell from watching the MV alone because of the lack of a male lead. It’s all in the name of summer flirty fun.
Touch my body, we’ll go faster, little by little
Oh everybody, higher than the blue sky
I like this rhythm, you and I under the hot sun
My body body, Touch ma body
Baby so good, I feel like paradise right now
Baby so nice, our own summer night
The MV goes along with the whole casual and breezy atmosphere of the lyrics. Most of the dance scenes take place by the poolside set or by the bright pink set with the light blue contrasting terrifically with the pink. Going along with the summer theme, the girls are seen baking, doing laundry, packing for a trip and relaxing by the pool. Oh yeah, let’s not forget, they are eventually invited to a party where they hang out with their bros, Jeon Hyun-moo and Noh-Hongchul — the ultimate culmination of summer fun.
Styling wise, the colour palette of this entire MV is absolutely gorgeous. All four girls look amazing in their various outfits, which also complements the background beautifully. Their hair looks great, their colourful summery outfits are mostly flattering, and their facial and body expressions just sell this MV so well. While some of their outfits (e.g. Hyorin’s baking outfit) seem a little questionable, but because it’s Sistar, it somehow works. Good for them.
The one thing that leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the choreography. Seriously, is that let-me-get-rid-of-that-wedgie-bum-shake the best idea the choreographer could think of? As graceful and classy as Sistar is, even they are unable to save that atrocious dance move — it literally looks like me trying to dislodge some sand in my pants. I doubt even Beyonce could make such a move look sexy. I potentially see a whole bunch of parody and spoof videos being uploaded; perhaps this is Starship‘s nefarious plan after all.
Overall, this song is fun and lively, probably for people who are just looking for a cheery summer song. If any other group were to have released it, it probably would not have achieved any success. However, because it’s Sistar, this song topped the digital charts and achieved an all-kill upon its release. Some people actually love the song, but for others, it probably wouldn’t even have registered on their radar if not for the Sistar name attached to it. Not one of Sistar’s best, merely average, but it’ll suffice.
Rating: 3.5/5
(Starship Entertainment)
