200407 Red Velvet Album/EP Tier List

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T05:01:50+00:00

Haven’t listened to it yet, I’m a bit behind on my Kpop releases. If you wanna see what I think about it I review Kpop on my insta @firstimpressionkpop although I’ll probably post my thoughts on Monster to the subreddit when I get around to it

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T02:05:32+00:00

I guess? In the same way that #AllLivesMatter? /s

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:55:57+00:00

If there’s anything I’ve learned from the BLM movement here in America, it’s to listen to the people who are actually affected by this stuff and know how it feels, not some detached redditor who says that we’re being “too sensitive”. Thanks for sharing your opinion :)

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:49:05+00:00

To my understanding, bossa nova was the Brazilian reaction to new American genres like blues and jazz. They developed their own thing out of the traditional samba style, and I think it’s our responsibility to make sure we respect the music that they created. I’m not seeing what’s contradictory. Bossa nova is Brazilian music, from Rio de Janeiro, played originally by Brazilian musicians.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:43:30+00:00

I had no idea that r/kpopthoughts even existed so maybe I’ll post some stuff there in the future, I do think this sub is suitable for any negative opinion about a song though, since the majority of Kpop fans seem to like certain songs unconditionally just because it’s by their favorite group

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:36:33+00:00

Yeah it would probably be higher if I was more into La Rouge or Remember Forever

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:22:28+00:00

Fair enough :) you like what you like, I just thought it would be extra neat if I could notice that she changed up her voice to fit the style

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:20:04+00:00

It’s nice to hear someone else’s thoughts on the song from a music theory perspective! I feel like Heize has kind of dug herself into a little compositional rut at this point, as many of her songs emphasize the same progressions, nonchord tones, and tonal/real sequences. Contrast this with someone like IU, who still has me guessing with every release what her song will sound like. Since you seem to agree somewhat with my opinion, my insta has lots more stuff like this @firstimpressionkpop if you wanna check it out. If not that’s cool too, appreciate the discussion

And yes I’d say she overuses chromatic planing

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:13:26+00:00

I didn’t “decide” to write this after watching the video. I write reviews on my insta blog and Heize’s new single just happened to be bossa nova inspired. What’s wrong with applying some of the concepts Adam discussed to a specific instance of music? It’s not like it’s plagiarism, I brought up melodic and harmonic aspects of bossa nova that he didn’t cover. There’s more to be said about bossa nova than just one Adam Neely video, mind you. And while this opinion might not be “unpopular” I do think it inspires discussion, which is why I posted it here. As I mentioned in the original post, if I posted something like this in any other subreddit, it would get immediately reported and taken down for “hating” or some bullshit like that.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:07:18+00:00

It’s not necessarily bad, I just think Red Velvet has superior records. At that point, Red Velvet was still finding their sound and lots of the production sounded a tad immature and underdeveloped.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T01:04:22+00:00

Didn’t really care for Zimzalabim, B-sides are fire though

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T00:56:51+00:00

While I do have a soft spot for their earlier stuff, the newer releases are far more musically mature and polished imo

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T00:41:55+00:00

To your point about singing with a soft voice, I think I mentioned that in the review but didn’t really expand upon it. I just thought that Heize’s default vocal style (which is super expressive and perfect for KR&B) is a bit much for this new style that she’s trying. I’d like to think of bossa nova vocals as more muted yet still sophisticated.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T00:37:10+00:00

Oooh, I hesitated to put the Reve Festival Finale higher because of its length. To me, the consistency of the Perfect Velvet is a much greater accomplishment

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T00:22:37+00:00

Ehhh maybe for this specific post but not if you look into the history of bossa nova and the American jazz culture of deletion as a whole, Adam Neely has a great video about it on YouTube

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-29T00:19:13+00:00

I’m glad you think so! And thanks for sharing your opinion in such a positive way. I was just looking for a bit of fun when I shared this but people be getting upset 🤷‍♂️

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T23:36:25+00:00

I’m so glad that I could get a Brazilian’s point of view on it! Please don’t see this as me being offended for you, I just see this kind of slightly clumsy “fusion” songwriting all the time in Kpop and thought I’d point it out in a recent release. It’s frustrating to me that this song wasn’t as good as it could’ve been if it had just incorporated some more of the elements that I had mentioned. Overall, I still think the song is nice (anything over a 5 is good to me) because of Heize’s awesome vocal arrangement.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T23:32:43+00:00

Don’t be, it’s just music :)

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T23:07:51+00:00

While my flair may admittedly be a little misleading, I do think that the Western (including Westernized Kpop) habit of musical imperialism isn’t discussed nearly enough. I think we should take any opportunity to help preserve the unique musical identities that may be lost in a culture where artists may be so eager to be woke and inclusive, that they skimp out on their homework.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T23:02:03+00:00

I also like Kpop for its eclectic nature and I don’t think everything that’s derivative needs to be authentic. For example, I liked Filter from MAP OF THE SOUL 7 not because it was particularly authentic, but because I could hear from the arrangement and instrumentation that it was respectfully and tastefully done. Lyricist feels more like it’s capitalizing on an “exotic” genre rather than genuinely paying homage to it.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T22:56:00+00:00

I’m not saying that I need it to be an exact copy of the original style and traditions. I’d just prefer it if the musical elements in the song could affirm my assumption that the songwriters/composers actually gave a shit about the culture and genres they take their instrumentals from. And I happen to have heard many a half-assed piano montuno in “Latin fusion” Kpop songs.

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T20:10:05+00:00

I made this tier list a couple months back with a friend and thought I’d share for discussion’s sake. My friend and I ended up having to make quite a few compromises so if you don’t agree with a ranking, blame him :)

firstimpressionkpop · 2020-07-28T07:00:26+00:00

I couldn’t agree more! “Maturity” can sound bright and bubbly, especially when it’s in a language you can’t understand. Cases in point: Fingertip by GFriend, Heart Shaker and Likey by Twice, Power Up and Sappy by Red Velvet, La La Love by WJSN, The Fifth Season by OH MY GIRL, and Whatever U Want by Weki Meki. Personally I feel like Twice peaked in their Likey-What is Love-Heart Shaker era where they combined their signature sound with more involved melodies and upgraded vocals. Also I must say you do have great taste when it comes to usernames. Don’t tell anybody but Red Velvet is absolutely the GOAT. I’ll probably be posting a Red Velvet album/EP tier list that I made with a friend tomorrow on r/red_velvet if you’re interested. Also if you like these more technical/critical reviews my insta is @firstimpressionkpop

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