Best of Weekly Music Shows: 11/1 to 11/4

Hello readers, and welcome to the first music show recap for November! Following various special concerts and baseball games, all the main players are back on air this week, giving us a full roster of live performances. So, without further ado, here are some of the top picks from this week’s music shows!

Stephanie: “Game,” MBC Music Core, Saturday, November 3rd 2012.

The aforementioned show cancellations meant that some debuts and comebacks were pushed back, like Stephanie’s; but the CSJH The Grace member got her solo debut stage, and made the most of it with a precise and energetic performance — the level of which is not something seen as often in K-pop, unfortunately. The fans were there for Stephanie and made their fanchants heard, and while I also enjoyed the performance, I confess to being more nervous about her getting her heels caught in the trails of the sheer fabric she was wearing.

ChAOS: “Kiss Kiss” feat. Miji, MBC Music Core, Saturday, November 3rd 2012.

After teaming up with AOA Black last week, traditional Korean music group Miji joined ChAOS for their performance of “Kiss Kiss.” The musical fusion did come across as a bit disjointed, but it was great to see Miji again. ChAOS looked rather suave with their microphone stands; it was better than their previous, more dance-heavy, performances. The increasing usage of traditional instruments may indicate the beginnings of a new trend; K-pop has a habit of catching hold of a trend and wringing every last bit of life out of it, but we can enjoy it while it is still new and not yet overdone.

Ailee: “I’ll Show You,” Mnet M! Countdown, Friday, November 2nd 2012.

One of the challenges of executing a live stage is being able to give a meaningful performance with limited resources. While some comeback stages seek to circumvent by filming in different costumes and sets, this luxury does not last forever, and artists (and their companies) will have to somehow convey their song’s message using only one stage and one set of outfits. This limitation is what I enjoy about live performances, as it forces people to get creative–which is what’s happened here for Ailee. The changes in lighting and the difference in the dancers’ moves, among others, suited the nature of the song very well. Though the confetti shower so early in the song was a bit of overkill, Ailee’s stage passed the challenge of these limitations with flying colours.

NS Yoon-G feat. Jay Park: “If You Love Me,” KBS Music Bank, November 2nd 2012.

Love the casual look of this stage, particularly the colour palette and blocking used for the outfits–it’s not busy like most other K-pop acts. NS Yoon-G sounds wonderful, and her singing carries the performance. There is apparently some controversy surrounding the choreography, which is not that warranted; this choreography is rather tame compared to other dances, but I feel that dances involving both genders are scrutinised to a greater degree, somewhat unfairly in this case.

Lee Hi: “1, 2, 3, 4,” SBS Inkigayo, Sunday, November 4th 2012.

I had a feeling that Lee Hi would be more engaging live than in her MV, and while there is always room for improvement, she looked so much more alive! This performance had that sass needed to sell the song, but Hi’s youth added a refreshing twist. Keeping the number of back-up dancers to a minimum for most of the song prevented the diminuitive Hi prevented from being overwhelmed. Not that she would have had any trouble getting lost in the mass of dancers, mind, with that voice of hers. Her expressions much better on stage, and while I’m not the biggest fan of scene changes in music show performances, that one costume change was extremely well done. A great debut, and I can’t wait for more.

That’s it for this week–what are your thoughts on the performances? Which were your favourites? Leave your comments below!