Pop Off: STAYC vs JIHYO vs BAEKHO (August 2023 Comebacks)

[00:00:00] We're f***ing on the elevator! I think it makes sense to play it kind of safe for the first single. It just sounds like 2010 K-pop music, pop music in general. Viewer discretion is advised. Your fave will be criticized. That's Chris. That's Chantel.

[00:00:17] And this is CCTV The Nonstop Pop Show. And it's time for the August 2023 K-pop Pop Off. Looking for an awesome global pop music podcast? Chris and I have the inside scoop with extensive experience performing on stage and working at record labels.

[00:00:35] We review and deep dive into your favorite artists' songs and careers analyzing all of the creative and business decisions along the way. Join us on Patreon at patreon.com slash cctvpops and become a part of our amazing crew, including Lissette, Lily, Emily and Juliet.

[00:00:52] And you can subscribe now so we can explore the world of pop music together. And pop off is our monthly segment here on CCTV where we take some songs, compare them and their videos and their performances

[00:01:04] and we pick our favorites in each category and then we each choose an ultimate winner. So as a reminder this is meant for pure fun. Please don't take it too seriously. Join us and let us know what wins for you in all the categories as well.

[00:01:19] And as always we put up polls on our socials at cctvpops asking you all to vote for which songs we should include in this episode and this month it was a close vote but we will be reviewing Peco, Tijo and Stacey. So let's get ready to run!

[00:01:36] Round one. So we start with Stacey and their new song Bubble which is the title track from the third mini album Teen Fresh and it was done by a Black Eyed Pillsong, John Goon and Fly T. Player one. We reviewed Teddy Bear not too long ago. Yeah.

[00:01:57] We were not huge fans but if you're curious of our thoughts on all their singles so far we did do an exclusive Stacey episode so definitely go check that out. So what do you think of Bubble? Is it an improvement? You know!

[00:02:12] I've got to say this is definitely a step up from Teddy Bear for me. A lot of people, not a lot of people, but some people were upset that we had negative opinions, not negative but we just weren't exactly a static about the direction that

[00:02:24] the girl group was going in and this is bright enough and sweet without giving too many cavities. Teddy Bear was just too cute I feel and I get that they're young but it was just but this one is nice.

[00:02:36] It reminds me of early twice and like girl group but the girl group market needs a girly concept like this like there is no girl group but then I know but there isn't like

[00:02:44] a bigger girl group or like a more well-known girl group that has like a little just pink as their sound and I know it's a very strange way to describe this song but we think about

[00:02:55] like the serif name and even new jeans they're a little bit more cooler. This is kind of like that old school third gen k-pop girl groups that people really like and I appreciate that it doesn't sound like any other releases that came out this month.

[00:03:11] It doesn't even sound like 5050 or now Lord knows what's happening with them but it doesn't sound like them. It doesn't sound super retro. It just sounds like right in that

[00:03:17] pocket of just girl group goodness and I will say though that being said it does have a little bit of like a dated kind of sound to it. I'm not sure if you noticed it Chris but it's just for me

[00:03:28] yeah right? It just goes a little dated but not like oh wow this is old or like you know obsolete. It just sounds like 2010 k-pop music pop music in general. I do like the wiry synth

[00:03:40] and the extra yeah yeah yes throughout the song again it just sounds like twice to me and I was you know in like a freshman college twice it was like coming out and I was like ooh okay I like this

[00:03:51] and I like this enough and I do like that the girls were produced vocally produced to sing a lot lower deeper in their registers you know like because you know we've been complaining about

[00:03:59] that before they're singing super high so by the time the chorus comes around it's like oh my god there was the headphones you know so I appreciate it. I appreciate that it was a little bit more

[00:04:07] like grounded um and yeah there's like vocal changes here in their march band moment I like that chorus is catchy enough but not like super cat I don't remember everything but I do like the

[00:04:22] moments are cute so what about you how do you feel about this because this one's like really like it is very cutesy and yeah if you've listened to our show before cutesy is not really my thing

[00:04:32] right but I agree with you it is better than teddy bear still not even half as good as the first few singles though which still makes me a little sad but I agree with you with the twice

[00:04:42] comparison I was actually thinking also like a Katy Perry album track maybe from like the teenage dream you know because I think it has that it's those synths and kind of the brightness

[00:04:55] of it all and I had just seen Katy Perry in concert so I think her discography is just kind of like in my head as well so that's actually what I thought of but twice totally makes sense as

[00:05:04] well um so yeah I do appreciate the melody actually like it's very very joyful without being too cute like I agree with you that they did balance it pretty well like even the bubba bubba bubba like

[00:05:16] it's not done too nasally there's like an interesting um like harmonized effect vocoder type kind of effect on it which I appreciate as well um I enjoy the strings at the beginning a lot of good pop songs begin with some isolated strings so that was fun um

[00:05:32] yeah uh I think the one part that did kind of throw me off was the bridge actually in a good way I think the bridge thank god there was a bridge first off because a lot of the recent k-pop stuff

[00:05:41] hasn't really had a bridge um but yeah it was kind of fun it was unique it had an interesting structure with like the crowd noises and stuff so I just thought that brought a nice dynamic to

[00:05:50] it um I haven't taken it off the playlist yet so that's what I'll leave it at it's not it wasn't like teddy bear where I was like nope that's hysterical that's that's really what it is because if I

[00:06:07] immediately remove it that means I really don't like it and I haven't done that with this one so okay yeah there's hope kids there's hope yet on the horizon ha ha of dexonering is our second player geo with killing me good

[00:06:22] player two done by marco melanie joy fontana gg ramirez and melanie's husband michael vangren saltz and of course j y park it is the title track from her solo debut album zone yes all right

[00:06:37] she hopes so I hardly ever have a bias really in groups oh yeah this is true but with twice it's her it's her like a hands down like I think even from the very beginning she always stood out to me

[00:06:50] and especially after I saw them live she is just a fantastic performer absolutely um just up there with a lot of k-pop idols like as some of the as one of the best girls really one of the

[00:07:01] best female idols I think um so yeah my expectations were very high I think for this um and this fulfilled kind of what I wanted it to I think we've learned from a lot of these recent solo debuts that a

[00:07:14] lot of these like third gen k-pop artists have been having um I think it makes sense to play it kind of safe for the first single like kind of do what people want from you don't go to left field

[00:07:25] and that is what nayan did with pop which I enjoyed and I feel the same way about this one I think it's a solid debut track and it is what I wanted from her like it's cool it's sassy it does

[00:07:36] sit in a very good spot for her voice you know I feel like in twice their songs are often quite high and Jiho is one of the better singers she sings a lot of the choruses and then she has to belt

[00:07:45] and she gets kind of nasally when she belts yeah and so this song doesn't have that so it was very nice to hear her kind of in this in this kind of range here and especially that pre-chorus

[00:07:56] where it kind of gets lower and lower as well like that's that was the highlight for me is that pre-chorus like I think there's a lot of tension there are a great build um and the chorus is

[00:08:04] satisfying for sure um I will say the post-chorus though isn't a little underwhelming for me because I thought it was going to take it to another level that didn't really uh so that would be my

[00:08:14] only thing but the actual chorus itself I enjoyed um production wise yeah it's got a nice groove to it I thought again like the sparkles really stood out to me kind of that lead into the

[00:08:24] pre-chorus and kind of go throughout the pre-chorus because this yeah they're really cool and the percussion is pretty awesome as you kind of get into the chorus as well just a lot of energy there

[00:08:32] clearly meant for you know some choreography so yeah I need to listen to the whole project because I'm curious if maybe she took a little bit more risk with some of the other tracks um

[00:08:42] but yeah for a debut this is what I wanted I think this kind of R&B-ish pop makes sense for her um so I'm really happy for that it did well because I was reading that it was kind of

[00:08:54] divisive like she was getting a lot of hate and love kind of at the same time I guess yeah I don't I didn't really have time to dive too deep into kind of the whole K, Nettison, trauma of it all

[00:09:08] but I heard that there was some so she did win some music shows and stuff so I'm really glad it did well for her yeah I'm glad I'm glad it did well too I mean it's it's tough

[00:09:16] up right because like with the music shows those aren't like indicative of what the charts are it doesn't dictate the chart placement right kind of just like fan votes right

[00:09:27] I think it depends on which show like they some of them you do like votes and then mixed with sales and mixed with like other things but each show has different percentages of each so

[00:09:38] okay okay because I've seen some things people are saying wasn't doing well and I'm like does that do well yeah I think in some ways it wasn't and some ways it was so yeah right it's

[00:09:46] it's weird one of those things I'm just like uh but she's got a twice you know it's the nation's girl group um but any little doodle you know I spent an year I went to the concerts

[00:09:58] and honestly when she was performing I thought she was going to do one of her darker tracks like um I think I for and I'm the monster I'm a monster either way but either way she has

[00:10:08] performed one of her solo tracks from the album at the show and I thought oh yeah I want dark jeal even when she's like did like a performance video a couple is a year ago I've

[00:10:17] right either way she did something and she was wearing like this barefoot skirt and bandeau thing I was like oh yeah everyone get dark jeal this was not dark jeal which is fine I don't mind

[00:10:26] her not being dark I can understand what you mean by it being safe um but I do it's not bad for a solo effort at all um the song sounds retro in the percussion like I was like oh it's kind

[00:10:36] not new jack swing is doing something kind of 90s-ish 80s-ish I like that um so I'm very curious about what the brief was for this like you know did they didn't the melody know that she was going to

[00:10:49] get like with a geo probably but like I want to know what the brief looked like like bam okay produce something that's retro in what way you know um I'm just curious to know how what kind of

[00:10:59] direction they were trying to go and like why this was chosen specifically I like how sexy the lyrics are and like and then like you said that though the pre hook is definitely one of my

[00:11:08] parts that I sing constantly too na na na na na na na I'm like girl yes give me that tension um I think the song progresses nicely and displays her vocal range well like there's falsetto in

[00:11:21] the beginning there's she sings in her chest voice very clearly um without being too much um and even when she uses her belt in the bridge it comes forward and then it gets kind of mixed

[00:11:33] toward the back which is nice it's there but it's not like what like a usually in your face so it was nice it just felt like something that was easy to listen to easy to groove to

[00:11:46] production wise though it's not basic but it's simple um and I like that it does in genre swap because JYP has been doing that lately has been exhausting um but I do appreciate the simplistic

[00:11:58] nature of the song it makes it very solid yes so player three we have beck ho with elevator player three I have to say I did not actually include the song originally in the poll because when I read

[00:12:12] the list of what was coming out or what had come out in August I didn't know this was like an actual single like I thought it was just like a digital just like project track or whatever but then um

[00:12:24] shout out to at e fb e fb three on twitter sorry if that's pronounced differently uh right you know you you you shouted it out you were like how about beck ho's release um and after I looked at it I was

[00:12:38] like oh he's actually promoting it and there is a kind of a music video they call it performance film but it's a music video and um so then I was like okay fine let me let me see whatever wins

[00:12:47] this poll I'm gonna just do the two songs so it was between I think it was triple s and beck co I put it on twitter and overwhelmingly beck ho won so yes thank you I'm sorry for no not originally

[00:13:01] including him in the cry but it's hard to tell yeah it's hard to tell k-pop is very confusing um anyway let me preface by saying if you never listened to our other like new east related episodes before

[00:13:14] that we are both huge fans of new east and we both love beck ho so um I'll preface it by saying that um so this is a cover okay it is a cover of a jay park's 1995 hit single elevator and it is the

[00:13:32] first release from beck ho's upcoming project called the bade time which is the combination of the word bad and bed because I guess he wants to show himself like in his like bad boy self and then

[00:13:48] he also wants to show himself like in his vulnerable like bedtime self so this is the first of that so yeah what do you think um okay first of all welcome okay I can't do it yet we're going to

[00:14:03] want the lemonade stand a little bit later if you're new we hear the lemonade stand is where you can come get your thirst quench but it probably never will be because we just say thirsty

[00:14:10] at the lemonade stand round one is just the song I know I saw some visuals yet I know I was just saying I just love people that I will watch up right into it as you do say that man's name I

[00:14:20] instantly just think of him you know I just know later for that this song I did not know was a cover and because of that I kind of went into it like I don't know how to feel I don't know how to feel

[00:14:35] I liked it it's like a new jack swing kind of inspired track the baseline I think is one of my favorite parts it's very like satisfied very smooth um and a part of me is like okay this is fun

[00:14:48] but I don't know if I really like the approach to the song because it's j-w- not because it's j-w-p but because now the right before we fell I did not know it was the cover until like you know but right

[00:15:01] before we filmed I watched the the original performance and I thought to myself oh the chante chorus makes sense now yes dang oh my gosh it makes sense but it just thinks because like

[00:15:14] the song lyrically speaking is so hot oh my god we're in the elevator we're making love it's a secret love ooh ooh yes very sexy but there's nothing sexy about we're f***ing on the elevator

[00:15:29] no no no no no no no no let me to bleed that out but that's what the chorus gives me it just feels so yeah like it it's just it's just too much in your phase and it feels like it just pisses me off

[00:15:45] because I'm like it could be so much sexier so it's more sensual like an elevator's intimate there's nothing intimate about f***ing on the elevator but no like it's just not good anyway

[00:15:55] I wanted it to be a little bit more like intimate and sensual, not playboy that just got laid in the elevator and went to go tell his friend they're like, yeah, we're on the elevator. Yeah, you know what I'm saying?

[00:16:07] Because my thing is with this whole new Jack swing that 90s kind of influence, I get that JYP style, but Becquo is also a producer. Boomzoo also got credited on this which bothers me because I'm like why did you guys not

[00:16:18] take this thing and flip it on its head? Like give me in the closet by Michael Jackson. Still new Jack swing, it still has that whispery kind of thing that Becquo does at the end of

[00:16:27] the song, even though I feel like it should have been in the beginning of the song. So just warm me up for that yelling that I got. You know what I'm saying?

[00:16:34] Like this, oh, there's just steps that I wish would have been taken to kind of just like make this a lot more fitting of his aesthetic, the visuals aesthetic that we'll eventually talk about.

[00:16:47] But yeah, I feel like keeping it in the closet would have listened to keep it in the closet before you guys try to drag me and tell me that Becquo would not kill something that sounds like this, like that rather.

[00:16:58] But yeah, I felt like the chorus could have been a bridge and just with the chanting. But again, this is kind of my notes and my reaction to it without really knowing that it was a cover. Yeah. But I will give him credit for the verses as usual.

[00:17:11] He's a great vocalist. He's a very good vocalist and I could hear that and I appreciate that. But again, I just wish they would have just kind of just made a little bit more cool, especially with the way K-pop sounds now. You know?

[00:17:25] So I'm off my soapbox underneath the lemonade stand. I'll be back later. Yeah, we're prepping. She's squeezing the lemons right now. Yeah. I... Okay. So I went into it very differently from you because I knew it was a cover. Okay. Lucky you.

[00:17:42] So I actually listened to the original first and I watched the video. I watched the performances that J.Y. Park did, not knowing the lyrics, right? So let me start with that. So... Oh, okay. I did not know the lyrics were like that. Yeah.

[00:17:58] And so I thought it was just a fun, like... Woo! You know, like party, party song. Woo! Right? Because of the chanting. It was only after I saw the lyrics that I was like, oh, I totally get what you're doing.

[00:18:12] I was like, this is the least sexy way of saying this, any of this. Yeah. So I had heard all that before I listened to the Beko one. Oh. And I also just, through my research and stuff, like this actually was a huge hit for J.Y.P.

[00:18:25] Yes. So I understand the choice to keep the chorus the way that it was. You know, like keep the chorus itself as the chant that everyone knows and then kind of change everything else up because literally the entire original song is a rap.

[00:18:39] Oh my God, you're right with the G-Fong, Chris Song. Yeah. And so at least with Beko he made the whole thing very melodic. I actually appreciate the melody that he, I guess he wrote, right? For this song. Yeah.

[00:18:52] And the chorus, they did keep kind of like the original chanting way that it was. So I think that makes sense to me because if you change it too much then what's the point of doing the cover, right? In the bridge!

[00:19:04] That's a little too big of a change though, I feel like. In my opinion. Yeah. I understand. Yeah, but I agree with you that the lyrics are so sexy that it just like, I think we've said this before that there's sexiness and subtlety.

[00:19:22] And I would say in the verses he does do that. I agree. He sounds really, really good. He has a really nice thick tone. So when he's not pushing too hard and stuff it has a really nice feel to it. Very like velvety, I think.

[00:19:37] But even like the whispering that you mentioned and stuff, it's a really forceful whisper. It's like, yeah, it's not like a really soft whisper which I feel like is what it should be, you know? Because like I agree with you and Elevator is very intimate.

[00:19:51] It's, you know, yeah. So yeah, I think it's trying to just take the idea that it's a cover of this original song and interpretation of that JYP song. I appreciate it more. Right.

[00:20:07] Because I think he did do a good job with it to make it a little more modern, put his own spin to it and everything. But as an actual song by itself, I don't like it. Yeah. Because I think that chorus is annoying. That chanty thing is annoying.

[00:20:24] And obviously we don't have the nostalgia connected to it. Of it, yes. Right? So yeah, the first time I heard it was like two days ago. I'm crying. So I appreciate to hear, I appreciate that Beko is doing something different.

[00:20:42] Like I will say this is one of the first times amongst the new East members that we hear them doing something totally different from anything we've heard them do before. So at least appreciate that because if you're going to break up the group, like

[00:20:55] please at least just do something interesting and different, like what's the point then otherwise? And I am intrigued by this project a little bit because I'm wondering if the whole thing covers or is this just like an attempt to just get some of the new nose?

[00:21:09] Yeah, maybe the new nose. You are so funny. Yeah. So I'm glad Beko's back and I will still support but this is not for me. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So that being said for pop off we don't give scores but we do select winners.

[00:21:31] So who is your winner for the song round of this pop off? My winner is Jiho killing me. Good. How about you? Me too. Yeah, that's not really a surprise. I don't think we might have more debate with the other ones though.

[00:21:50] Because the next round is about the video. Round two. All right. We're back to Stacy girls. They're going down. They can't really get up. They say it's going down. They didn't say it was going down. I just realized because I know. Oh no.

[00:22:09] I said it for you all. Y'all better come get just wrap your set. Y'all better wrap your set. So it was interesting. I like the whole Disney land. Shots of copyrights, Disney land that they were trying to do.

[00:22:24] It was interesting to look at because there's a full story around the whole thing and from what I can get it's really simple. I don't think it requires that. But the video is about the girls being students in a dorm and maybe they

[00:22:38] don't want to deal with stress and the pressure of real life. So they go out and break while they sneak out rather than go out and go into the live real life going to enjoy real life instead of being bogged down by stress and whatnot.

[00:22:52] I think what made the video a little bit more interesting and more dynamic was the camera work or was the editing. I think it's really fun. It reminds you of a twice video for sure, especially that first verse.

[00:23:05] The way they filmed it remind me of like, it looks like a typical girl group video. I'm not even going to hold you. That doesn't mean the video is bad. It just looks very typical with the one member in the front and the

[00:23:19] other girls in the back at this weird warped editing on there. It was cute. I feel like a little sitcom. I'm trying to escape. I think what was the most interesting kind of visual or something that made me go, hmm, that's interesting. What is that?

[00:23:34] Was the, I don't want to call it the asylum room with the white wall. The white bubble room. Yeah. Yeah. Because padded walls in a room in a cell can indicate mental health issues, but there's bubbles at the, balloons at the top.

[00:23:48] So in Jay's verse, second verse, she's in the room and in the bridge or in that room dancing. So kind of it was like machines in the second verse, but it kind of made me think like, okay, mental health kind of thing.

[00:24:00] Like maybe things could be bad, but it can be, you know, all go away with one bubble pop or whatever. But even way he's kind of like a mention of like how bad things can get for a young person.

[00:24:10] But my favorite, my favorite like visual for sure is the pop up aesthetic. It reminded me of the furgy clumsy music video. Like the pop up. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's about it though. That's my little theory about them looking out, believe your stress. Be happy.

[00:24:25] Bubba like bubba bubba bubba. That's cute. What about you? How you doing? It was okay. Yeah. I also agree with you. I appreciate that there was a storyline that kind of went through it. I did not love that they never actually got to go into the

[00:24:40] arcade castle thing. They did. Like they joined the line. What that red room was inside, that was the inside of that castle? I don't know. That red room was weird. It was just random. I don't think so.

[00:24:52] Like they were just in line and that they were dancing outside the castle and that ended. So I didn't love that. They couldn't fit in the budget Chris. No. Yeah. The EDM budget. I don't know. Sure. I do think that graphics overall were cute though.

[00:25:05] Like I do like the very cartoonish castle. Yeah. And yeah, I thought that white bubble room was, was funny because that scene where Jay is by herself and she's like hanging in there. She looks so uncomfortable and she's like doing like this awkward smile.

[00:25:21] Like she's like has a wedgie or you know, like it's like she's being hung up by this thing. Yeah. So it was just funny because she clearly looked very uncomfortable there. I agree with you. Actually my call out was the scrapbook moment.

[00:25:33] I thought that was just a cute visual and the graphics are really good there. Yeah. We'll talk a little bit more about the choreo later but I can't, them suddenly going sexy for the two or three eight counts of the bridge though.

[00:25:44] So hilarious to me because the whole thing is so cute. You know they're doing all the cutesy faces and stuff and suddenly it's like, it's like your body rolls. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because the beat drops so they start dropping.

[00:25:57] I'll mention that again because that was more choreo based but it's in the video too so I just had to mention that. Yeah. God. So yeah, I mean it was fine. Did it make me like the song more? No.

[00:26:07] Which I think is the point of a music video. So. Agreed. It did not do its job for me. I didn't think it was. I just thought it was a good one. Yeah. And then we kind of like the move agreed. Yeah. Wa. Okay. Well. All right.

[00:26:24] So player two, we've got Ji Ho killing me good. And it's a, it's an interesting video. She looks amazing in the choreography scenes. She is such a natural performer. So those were like the clear highlight parts for me. Like especially her dancing in the rain at the end.

[00:26:38] You know we love a pop star. Gosh. that's the next round. But I think she, you know, she's just such a great performer that those were clearly the standout moments. Yeah. The stuff with like the guy and like the home footage

[00:26:50] and stuff like that, I thought it was okay. Uh-huh. I didn't really feel any like chemistry or anything from her and the guy. Well, all man. Like I don't know if she has aspirations to be an actress but like there would, I didn't feel any real emotion

[00:27:06] from any of those scenes. So I just was kind of waiting for her to start dancing again. You like, okay, nice to meet you. I thought the rooftop scenes were like, I mean, I thought the whole thing was cool, especially when the sign went on fire and stuff.

[00:27:19] Oh yeah. But the scenes where she's like in a sewer or like underground, like I was just like, I don't get that. Not the sewer. You know what she's like on that railing? It literally looks like she's on the edge of a sewer. No, you're right.

[00:27:31] She's like under the car. Yeah. Like why? It just doesn't make sense with the scenes with the guy. Like why are you in the sewer? Dude, oh my God. That is first of all your hilarious. And also, can you tell me exactly what happened with this guy?

[00:27:44] Like what did he do to her? I don't get it. Man, it's like my music video. No one knows that one of my music videos is almost like why do you guys break up in the video? I'm like there is no reason.

[00:27:52] It's just kind of just broke up. Because you're right. There's a text message thread. He's like, why did you pick up the phone? She goes, you are making me upset right now. We are so done. Exclamation, exclamation, exclamation, exclamation. I remember the whole text thread.

[00:28:04] It made no sense. I paused it to read it as well. I was like what's happening? They were happy. They were happy and then settling the bridge, she's like, she's like pouting and then whatever. But then he's the one who is like why'd you do this to me?

[00:28:17] And it's like what does she do to you? I don't understand. Maybe he's gaslighting her. And then the song is like, isn't the song about like, I don't know. Yeah, like you're doing it, you're putting it down on me. Like it's good. Yeah, like you're into this.

[00:28:31] Yeah, that's a foot. Isn't that what it's about? So I just don't get it. Maybe it's a lead into the next song. I don't know. Maybe. I was very confused. Your voice has a question mark all over it. Conclusion, she looks amazing. That's my conclusion. Okay. Yeah.

[00:28:48] I am so tickled because you were just like, oh I hear his question mark. Yeah. I feel the same way because I was watching the video and I'm like, why are you so pressed in this car? Why are you vexed? What's happening?

[00:28:58] But yes, so the video kind of gives girlfriend vibes. I'll get to the, maybe I have the same opinion about the whole like maybe is a lead up for another video. But yeah, I think the whole like fantasy was like, Gio as a girlfriend, your girlfriend,

[00:29:14] ooh POV, your name, insert here. Or at least maybe someone that could be like, you know, someone that you know or whatever. It just doesn't feel like, like you said, it felt like very like removed and no chemistry. You never see his face like ever.

[00:29:27] So I guess it's meant to be like, that could be you. Ding! You know? I do like the POV kind of camcorder shots. Like a lot of the switching between the camcorder and the performance shots are cool. I like the whole look of that.

[00:29:45] But I feel like because she's with JYP, they can't really push the sexy thing too much, which is so annoying. Because this song is a little sexy. It's upbeat. It's mid tempo. Yeah. But it has elements of just sensuality and like Gio as a whole.

[00:30:05] She is very like, she's into her physical hell. Like she knows she's a hot chick. Like watching her perform on stage any once could be like, you know, she's hot. Like she's just, she's minding her own business or not really, she's gyrating, she's getting all,

[00:30:18] her body's all wet and soaking. She's like, I know I look good. And you can see her trying to do that in the video, but she's dressed from head to toe. Nothing wrong with that. But the song is like killing me good. I want some more danger.

[00:30:31] I want some more darkness because at the show, some of the songs on the album are a little bit more dark or more sensual. She has that in her like her dancing on the roof in a dress that's wet. Ugh! Her underground and a sleeveless tank

[00:30:44] and some jeans and Tim's makes no sense to me at all. Even in the performance video, she's wearing shorts and like this cute summery top in a laundromat. Doesn't make sense, but the girl looks hot and she knows it. In a laundromat? Yeah, absolutely. It's ridiculous.

[00:31:00] Like I don't understand. And it doesn't fit, dude. It's just like, okay, killing me good at the laundromat? I don't get it. Like there's so many angles you could, you could have taken, you could have said like a 007 approach. You could have one with kill bill approach.

[00:31:12] You could have one for like a secret agent. You could have, that's 007. Either way, give me something that's killing me but not so much. Give me, give me on the nose. It would have been appreciated. But yeah, one other, the break up at the end is confusing,

[00:31:25] but maybe it does lead up toward the end because she puts her clothes down. I guess that's a sexy moment. Right, like she's going to go out and go partying or whatever. Yeah, something. I mean hopefully it's like a lead-up into the B site closer

[00:31:35] that she's been performing because that's all. Oh, love it. Okay. Sexy. All right, so the lemons have been squeezed. Let's go to the lemonade stand. Go for it. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

[00:31:47] Okay, first of all, he is so damn fine. Okay, welcome to Shands Lemonade stand. Well you're thirst. You're welcome to bring it, but it will never be quenched. And here today we're serving Beko juice. He is so fine. Oh god.

[00:32:01] He looks, oh wait a little, that sounds nasty. I mean, I saw like such a sleaze. But anyway, him with the black hair, I love Beko in pink. But you can tell this man's been working out. The leather, the hair, the slick back.

[00:32:21] Even some of the angles, like emphasize his muscles, like his biceps. He looks so good. The tattoos, like he was doing it for me in this video. Oh my god. And aside from that though, I just like the imagery of being alone with this man and the elf.

[00:32:36] Ignacy. Ignacy. All right, I'm done. Now, that being said, all that being said, I like the idea of the performance film being all black in this warehouse kind of grungy thing without looking too dirty and filthy. I love the black and the red. It just feels dangerous.

[00:33:00] It gives me that danger that I wish Geo's video had. The girls are there, the men are there. That being said, there were some moments I'm just like, it's a little awkward. Like him not touching the girls like really bothered. I'm like, such are hands. That's K-pop though.

[00:33:18] I know. It's a video. Oh my god, I hate that. But I mean, he thought that he was huge. Just go for it. Just epic. Go for it. Anyway, I like some of the elevator scenes with the shots above head or them inside of the door frame.

[00:33:33] I like those shots. The choreography does what it needs to do. But yeah, the video was fun. It's really simple. I guess we're not going to get a full video. But I mean, just having the lyrics on the screen and muting the song. This song is just...

[00:33:51] I said it. I said it. I said it. Just having all that off and just leaving him on. Honey, it's good. I wanted more. I wish we could have had more. Like a lead up maybe into how he got into the elevator.

[00:34:05] But again, it's not about a whole story. It's just about him looking good and everyone else just looking really hot around him. But yeah, I mean it was simple enough. It was good enough. I just want to touch him and stuff.

[00:34:17] But that's pretty much the standard issue over here. What about you? How do you feel? I feel like I get more constructive things to say. Well, so first off, I hate the whole performance film kind of thing. A music video could just be a simple music video.

[00:34:31] Especially because I think we've been going back in time really. And we're looking at older artists and sometimes a music video of everyone just sitting down in a cafe or something can be totally effective. So this can be a music video.

[00:34:45] Like I hate that they have to class it as a performance film if they don't have all this crazy stuff going on. But anyway, rant over about that. Okay, yeah. I enjoyed watching this. I agree he looks amazing. The tension in the beginning is hot.

[00:35:01] Like the tension between the two of them, like him and that dancer, there's no eye contact, but I feel some fire there that was missing from those scenes with Jiho because it was ice cold in that video. This one, there was definitely heat there, which I appreciated.

[00:35:19] But unfortunately that heat doesn't fully stay throughout the whole thing. Like his chemistry and the performance parts of the video aren't really there. Which I find a little odd and I think it might be like what you said where maybe they have to just be very cognizant

[00:35:34] about how much they really get into it to keep it PG. Oh my gosh. Sorry, I'm just frustrating. That did annoy me because when it started I was like oh yeah there's like chemistry here, there's like heat here. They're not even looking at each other, you know?

[00:35:50] And then yeah as it kind of progresses that kind of disappears which I don't love. And I can't tell if that's him or if that's just the way it was choreographed or it is that direction of like don't be too hot.

[00:36:02] But in terms of the actual like production choices and stuff, the lighting is awesome, very very effective. It does accentuate like the definition his muscles and stuff. There are moments where I do feel like he is like feeling himself as well which is important.

[00:36:21] I think you need that confidence with a song like this. Like there's a simple smile going on through a lot of it and yeah he's not like doing the absolute most which is good. Like I think it's like

[00:36:33] when it comes to the way that the song can happen with K-POP, like it can go kind of the other extreme where it's like again, subtle T can be sexy. So at least that co knows that. So yeah I thought it was effective. It did make me appreciate

[00:36:49] the song more. So I'll give that to him but will I watch it all the time? No. I'll mute yes. I've got a winner for round two for the video. Yes. What do you choose? Okay not thinking about the song and thinking about the overall video

[00:37:11] production quality and such. I'd give it to Stacy because I feel like I could understand what's happening, it was bright. I know, I know, I know. Look at you not letting your thirst take over your opinion. I'm over here with the Stacy

[00:37:27] but I have some bubble, bubble, bubble, seltzer water. But yeah, I mean, that co looks really good but if he would have gone like that extra step like remember Rodee Hoon from like Second Jenny of the song called Punishment? Oh, that man was oozing all of that.

[00:37:43] If I would have won but Stacy got it for me. What about you? How do you feel about this? I'm going to be honest, I don't love any of these videos pretty much. I'm going to get my bias take over and I'll give it to Gio.

[00:37:59] Yeah, I think the performance seems we're good enough. You learned that, you usually don't. Alright, so last round. Round three. Round three is about the performance of the choreography what do you think of Bubbles' performances? You know what? I'll take that, I'll think their

[00:38:23] performance is a bubble over teddy bear. Because that thing that they were doing with their faces and the cookie hand, the bear cookie, the bear man I get it but it's like come on now, they're hitting 16, 17 now, can we get it now? Stop. But this was actually pretty

[00:38:41] nice and simple but not too simple typical Groker choreography but there's a lot of hand photography and them doing the little time thing and the formations are really simple nothing too crazy. I feel like this group is one of those groups that don't make too much

[00:38:57] crazy choreography because they're actually trying to sing so in that aspect they remind me of a second gen group where you'll get the point over what they're trying to do but you'll also hear what they're actually supposed to be singing. Performances have been fun

[00:39:09] they don't look like they're trying to sell you cute they're allowing themselves to actually just look cute. There are some costume choices I've been like, yeah I'm dressed like child children excuse me but aesthetically it does make sense. They're fan based the uncles even some other west

[00:39:31] I heard of fan chains those are men's but yeah they look fresh, they're like springtime girls it's a nice kind of close out song for summer and they're giving you that kind of pep I like the bubble blowing the bubble that's cute, that was cute

[00:39:47] I'm not sure how much I've ever been into that but it's not even that nothing too crazy I just think it's a lot of armography I was tired watching them honestly I tried to do something that I was exhausted but yeah I think it's simple enough

[00:40:01] it's effective and I wasn't sick of watching them do it so although we're researching this what about you, how do you feel about this because this is like really like we haven't seen a girly choreography like this in a minute in a pop off.

[00:40:15] I mean, you know, the music is really crazy stuff there's nothing that memorable in kind of any of their choreography it just feels like it's just a bunch of quick movements that don't really have any real musicality to it like there's just not that inspired

[00:40:31] like you could put it behind another song you know what I mean you know what, yeah I think the bubble, bubble, bubble like cheap, cheek taps and yeah the blowing the bubble those were cute, I mean a little on the nose of course

[00:40:45] but I thought they fit well and so as a point choreo I think those were good I think the little interactions that they had throughout were fun as well I will say from watching kind of like the eight you know music show performances that they've had

[00:41:03] it is so choreo like every facial expression is so choreographed, every smile at each other every little wink yeah it just feels so disingenuous yeah so I really don't like that and especially I think compared to the other two that we're comparing to this round

[00:41:23] which is hard because they're older and they have more experience but I think a general trend in K-pop has been to like overly choreograph the facial expressions and things and when it gets that choreographed it just feels so cold absolutely, it kind of just feels like

[00:41:41] does your artist not know what they're singing about? right so yeah that's why I don't love that there were parts of this that were giving me like middle school or high school like dance crew kind of situation um so yeah I'm going to be honest

[00:41:59] not much of it stood out to me other than the buh buh buh buh like little cheek taps and stuff and I will bring up again the random sexy bridge with the body rolls and the sudden s'mys and stuff no I get that I get that

[00:42:17] but it's just so funny watching them do the sudden switch yeah it's just so immediate it goes from like a cute face to yeah very sultry it's still a little jarring it's a little jarring I'm not sure I have no desire to watch them perform this again

[00:42:41] no after researching and no I'm so sorry I don't mind watching them flip their hair a bunch of times same oh yeah ASAP like all of those I still love those first few title tracks but yeah this is still just like okay for me

[00:42:57] absolutely yeah I also don't think I'm the audience for this it's just stop you know I can feel that I like girly group stuff but this is still just not there like Poppy I felt was more I appreciate Poppy we're stuck on Stacy we like them

[00:43:13] we just want more it's heading in the right direction again though cause the last song was just not it but I actually haven't looked like is this song doing well do you know let us know we both have busy guides it's been a really crazy summer

[00:43:27] it's been fun we've been living our best lives touching grass and such alright so player 2 Jiho killing me good um okay yes so we can finally talk about the choreography I do think the choreography is good it is very sexy it's powerful really good balance between

[00:43:51] kind of the softer moves and then the really sharp stuff I think I will say you said Stacy had a lot of arms and hands and wrists like there's so much just like hand arm stuff and gets a little frantic at times I will say

[00:44:09] there are a couple performances I forget one performance where she had a handheld mic too oh my god and it was just like her flailing one arm instead and it looked even crazier um so I will say I think the more subtle movements that just the

[00:44:25] slower movements where she can kind of just groove a bit more we're definitely more effective like all the craziness was completely unnecessary but again that is common in kpop now where like the more difficult it is for some reason they think that's a good thing

[00:44:39] which goes against everything we've learned about choreography and stuff as dancers back in the day but yeah I know I sound very old for saying that but it's true um I will say my favorite part she does this like awesome hit

[00:44:55] series of hits for like the last chorus like the end of the final chorus um she kills it every single time every single performance that I looked forward to it every time she's killing it and I said before like with the video she's a very natural performer

[00:45:09] definitely different from what I was just saying about Stacey where it felt like everything was completely choreographed every single wink every single smile mm-hmm Jiho feels very warm when she's on camera and she always has and I think that's why she's always stood out to me

[00:45:23] I think it's the same with this one she's very captivating I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the performances yeah um I do wish she sang live a bit more on the music shows but I know there is like the you know the live

[00:45:33] band version and stuff that she put out where she does sound good um so yeah I thought I thought it was solid for a solo debut performance oh yeah for sure yeah I'm trying to think like I don't want to like come here but I will compare um

[00:45:47] pop choreography compared to this I think they both fit both girls really well yes you know like Naya I can't know if it's Naya I don't see her doing killing me good could she sing it yeah but Naya isn't like super like sensual sexy

[00:45:59] she's more like girl like store like your high school girlfriend sexy yeah and she feels like that girl you just met at the bar or the club sexy you know she's not easy but you know if you run for your money

[00:46:11] and she gives that like you were saying um ending part where she kind of shoots herself I have that in my notes oh my god every time it goes around I'm like oh um you know I think I told you before

[00:46:21] she's a good dancer she's a good dancer when I went to the first concert she picked Tayman song to cover and blah blah oh really I'm like yeah yeah yeah she reminds me of Luna from FX in that sense where they can both sing

[00:46:33] really well and also hold their own with choreography I mean Geo's no popper like like Luna but you can't sit there and be like oh this girl has nothing going on Lord she cannot pick up this account she can pick up the eight count

[00:46:45] and the four bars needed to sing like she can do all of it um so I really do appreciate the performances I think some of the costumes like her dancing in the skirt like I get it's cute in the video so they reuse it

[00:46:57] but I'm like this is not the alphabet okay god okay um she dropping and open her legs does that make sense um but yeah I think overall watching her the dancers don't like eat her up and it's not because they're holding back it's because she can keep up

[00:47:13] with them as well maybe are holding back and she's like oh god I can't eat this horse in that because I might I've been on the other end where I have eaten at the singer and I was like

[00:47:23] oop I look out of place you know what I'm saying so I've been on both sides um but yeah the whoever choreographed this probably the JYP team I'm not sure if maybe Kyle Tootin did it but that point choreography that killing me killing me I

[00:47:35] like that so when it changes at the end when she shoots herself and hugs herself the arm her rubbing her arm yes I love the angles and that's what makes this dance interesting because it's like there's not a lot of formation changing she's

[00:47:48] not doing a lot of like backflips it's the angle of the dangle and everything that clangles because she's shaking to the left shaking to the right I don't think we ever really see her back that much she turns around and walks away but everything's very

[00:48:00] forward-facing pop was like she's running left and right she's swinging her arm she's you know like it's very energetic and this is kind of asking you to move your arms and also just sit there and be really like you know charismatic and she has

[00:48:12] enough to carry it I do wonder though like if this is going to be one of those songs it's so weird like watching solo artists now compared to like a e-ho-dee you know I'm saying like you know like you go girl

[00:48:22] would this be one of those songs that idol girls cover in the future I don't I don't think so I don't think so either but it's interesting watching things like that comparatively like she can do it but I wonder in the future with someone

[00:48:34] like even with the JYP auditions with someone to cover this to kind of show like I could handle being solo like you know because it's a good song choreography solid can you match Gio's energy I appreciate it for sure alright moving on we have player three with elevator

[00:48:52] we have betco yes so I will say betco's never been like an amazing dancer that was never really his thing he made me in a love he doesn't hit super hard like he's always quite soft with the way he he executes choreography like he's just a smoother dancer

[00:49:10] like that's the way he executes so in this case I will say I think his background dancers did show him up a little bit and the choreography is a little samey at times like I feel like it was choreographed just to be like we want you to flex

[00:49:26] at all times so it's just like I am in tears his elbows are bent like the whole time and it's just like a lot of like bent arms so his biceps and triceps can just flex over and over again yeah the reach like in the verses and stuff

[00:49:46] like it's just like the couple choreo for the core is it's fine it's kind of what you said like if they just were allowed to just be in each other a little bit more just to be like chest against back even you know what I mean

[00:50:02] it just needs a little bit more contact there because I think he can only like he only touches like her wrist really and then at the end he like touches her chin or whatever but like yeah it's just not as sexy

[00:50:12] as I feel like it's supposed to be so it just feels it just doesn't there's no heat like it just goes back to what you were saying there's no heat which this song desperately needs because that's what it's about you know

[00:50:26] especially that part when he's in the second verse when he's in that circle of girls nothing there's nothing there's no heat there's not even any real eye contact with the dancers he's in the middle of this circle of very attractive women he should be like into it absolutely

[00:50:48] just to go with the concept of the song that's all it is you want it to fit the song it just didn't fully work for me he looks really good he's not that away from him but like he can't just look good

[00:51:04] like that's not enough to carry a three minute performance in my opinion me laughing is not going to make this any better so I was like you guys are dragging him and to be fair though also it's like he only did like you know a couple performances

[00:51:16] so I get it like the first week also you know you're a little more nervous like it takes some time to kind of sit into things a little bit because maybe he was also nervous so he wasn't like enjoying it as much because I think this type

[00:51:28] of performance you need to be like in it like you need to be like enjoying it you need to be like really in the story of the song and I think he was like even those parts where he's like more grooving with the dancers

[00:51:40] and stuff like it wasn't a loose groove like it felt very like it just felt a little stiff throughout the whole thing no no yeah these performances just don't really do it for me unfortunately despite how great he looks but like that's yeah other than that

[00:51:56] he's one of the hoes like one who who who who was like the sexy musky like if he 1-0 could sell it like 1-0 is very into that whole smirky kind of thing like I'm not saying like you know he's amazing wow he's the king of it

[00:52:08] but from what I can tell even when he dances with women he may not like look at like like I'm gonna nail you tonight but he'll touch the female dancer or like make the contact where it looks like

[00:52:20] he's like you know the actors there like a lot of actor will look like in between the eyes that's what he'll do so I'll see though he kind of smirk there wasn't enough smirking I was getting from Beckhoese he's in his baby sexy era and it's okay

[00:52:32] like his crop shirt performance delicious but he felt a little bit more comfortable his eyes his eyebrows furrowing a little bit more he was giving a little bit more and it's crazy like watching the performances and even looking at the video it seemed like everyone else

[00:52:48] around them understood the sexiness and the sensuality of this song except the song itself sorry again the lyrics but you know aside from that aside from that the styling is fun like I think okay listen KBS World TV the performance he seems a lot more comfortable

[00:53:10] so giving like what you said he needed to warm up he looks more comfortable he's smiling he's smirking he's getting into it still not touching them girls it's fine whatever going to the choreography though there's some like the elevator head thing I don't like that

[00:53:22] I guess it's the original kind of choreography I get it but I especially hate when the girls drop to their knees in front of the guys and they're doing it because it just looks again sleazy as you know it just feels like it doesn't I don't like it

[00:53:34] um and also I do appreciate that he's not dancing every single second five and five minutes like there's a part where the male dancers are on the floor he just turns to the back and just sings with the right arm sings with the left arm what he's chilling

[00:53:46] um and also there's a part I forgot which chorus it was but the guys pick up the girls I hate that clunky kick that they do it's so clunky oh my gosh oh I hate it there's a certain part of the choreography that's really clunky the head shaking

[00:54:02] the knees and then at the end everyone's coupling up it's just not doing what they thought it was so like everyone's so awkward and unfortunately it took like three performances for Beko to actually kind of smirk like he got laid in the elevator

[00:54:18] before it was just like I was told to look at the camera but then later on it gets more like yeah I got something you know he's working on it but yeah like aside from that I like some of the coupling like in the beginning with the girl

[00:54:30] on the floor that girl with the lighter hair she eats it up I don't know what happens when he gets with a black haired girl I guess you don't like that chick I don't know yeah I know overall though I feel like it's okay

[00:54:42] it's not bad I just wish the movements would have been a little bit cooler because in kpop they change the choreography all the time why not just have one choreography one chorus could be that head crap and then move on you know so

[00:54:54] I think that's supposed to be the point choreo as well that's what the dance challenge has been like on all the socials I hate that yeah I would have taken some tutting from you know some elevator I would have taken something I don't know

[00:55:06] just not that head knocking but yeah shout out to that light hair girl she was eating y'all cause she was eating the camera up so she said I don't care what the f this up okay so winner of the performance round you know what

[00:55:20] it's a sweep for me this round I would give it to Jiho yeah Jiho's got it Jiho's got it for me too alright well for the overall thoughts and winner I think clearly mine is Jiho as the winner

[00:55:32] yeah I agree with you Jiho kinda takes her me too for sure alright well let us know what you all think about these tracks and what wins each round and the full pop off for you if you are interested please join us

[00:55:44] on Patreon or subscribe to us on Spotify because we will be reacting to some of the songs that didn't make it into this round we're gonna talk about NCTU some triple S we're also gonna bring in Kylie Minogue

[00:55:56] obviously cause we love Kylie and she has a new song so yeah join us over on Patreon follow us on socials at cctvpops as well and don't forget to like, subscribe and turn on notifications for our YouTube channel or if you're enjoying the show on a podcast platform

[00:56:10] give us a follow, rating and review until next time that's Shan that's Kris and we're signing off from cctv the non-stop pop show