This week has been a slow week for the weekly music shows, as awards season is kicking into gear, starting with the MAMAs. As a result, neither Show Champion nor M!Countdown aired, though all the rest did. Shannon made her debut, as did Infinite F, with Sonnet Son and Wassup making their returns. For the chart winners, if it could be won, A Pink did. They snagged first place on Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and MTV The Show. These are some of my favorites of the week, but feel free to comment with any of yours.
“Piano Man,” Mamamoo, KBS Music Bank, December 5, 2014
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoOyWpvWDY]Mamamoo has yet to give a bad performance. Hell, they have yet to give an average performance. Their vocals are always killer, and they have enough charisma to kill a horse. Normally, this makes picking their best stage of the week a nightmare, but this time, it was a no-brainer. Music Bank wins by virtue of having an actual piano man. Hwasa and Wheein‘s flirting is glorious, and it gives the performance an unneeded but welcome omph.
“Mama,” Nicole, SBS Inkigayo, December 7, 2014
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwEPXhoIoIg]Nicole’s greatest strength as a soloist is definitely her ability to work a stage, and she showed that on Inkigayo this week. She exudes the perfect combination of sultry, sexy and vulnerable to sell “Mama” like it owes her money, and the rent is due tomorrow. What really pushed this stage over the edge, though, is the camerawork. The shots bend and shift right along with Nicole, turning it into an active participant in the performance.
“Heartthrob,” Infinite F, MBC Show! Music Core, December 6, 2014
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw88aDfS8Tc]Confession time: I love the ’80s. Straight up, no shame, non-ironically love the ’80s. So when I saw that “Heartthrob” feels like it was vomited up by Stock Aitken Waterman from beyond their musical grave, I mean that as a compliment. Everything about Infinite F is straight out of 1987. The cheesy choreography, the god-awful blue costumes, the “woah-oh-ah-oh”s, and I love every second of it. They might not be the best vocalists in Infinite, but Sungyeol, L, and Sungjong are great performers. This is gonna be a fun promotion.
“Best Girl,” Ulala Session, Arirang Simply K-pop, December 4, 2014
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPawtA9ji5s]As stated above, I love the ’80s, and “Best Girl” is a fabulous ’80s R&B throwback. It’s like the Korean version of “Treasure.” The suits are ’80s, the hook is ’80s, and the dorky choreography is utterly ’80s. The human roller coaster and odd knock-kneed strut are amazing. This is just a really fun performance of a really fun song.
“Luv,” A Pink, SBS MTV the Show, December 2, 2014
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZuj1xXEppc]A Pink’s latest comeback has a way of sneaking into your brain and implanting itself whether you want it to or not. It’s sweet without being overly sugary and is catchy as hell. Each member sounds clear as a bell here, with no off pitch screeches or missteps. That, combined with the gorgeously classy black-and-white outfits, gives the song a real sense of maturity, proof that A Pink is starting to grow up.
