Pop Off: XG vs TAEYEON vs G-DRAGON (November 2024 Comebacks) with Ashley of A3Day Podcast

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[00:00:58] What's up, everybody?

[00:00:59] On today's episode, we have Howling Aliens fighting the system,

[00:01:03] a Rockstar fighting her inner demons

[00:01:04] and a K-Pop legend fighting for his name and rights to make good music.

[00:01:09] That's right, today it's time for a K-Pop Pop-Out.

[00:01:15] Yes, and this month we're joined by Ashley, a K-Pop historian and host of an album a day podcast.

[00:01:22] Ashley is a renowned podcaster of the K-Pop community.

[00:01:25] We are so honored to have you on the show. Welcome.

[00:01:29] Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Hey everybody.

[00:01:33] Awesome. So before we get started, please introduce yourself to any listeners that may not know who you are.

[00:01:38] What's your experience with K-Pop?

[00:01:40] Absolutely. Well, my name is Ashley, better known as your favorite foreign Korean music historian.

[00:01:46] And I started as a YouTuber in the 20 teens, 20 aughts, if you will, and transitioned over to full-time podcasting

[00:01:56] to be able to give you the absolute overview of every single album in K-Pop.

[00:02:02] In alphabetical order, it's taking me forever. It will take forever.

[00:02:05] But it's a lot of fun. You can hear my three fur babies out in the distance.

[00:02:10] I have Shih Tzu poodles, so you will hear them yipping as you hear now.

[00:02:15] But they like to be a part of the conversation.

[00:02:19] So being able to do all of that, as well as being able to previously manage an entertainment company, a media company,

[00:02:26] it allowed me to do a lot of traveling and coverage of concerts.

[00:02:30] I've seen probably your favorite idols at least six or seven times.

[00:02:34] Some of them I know personally, some of them I know of.

[00:02:37] So it's been a very fulfilling career.

[00:02:40] Yes, love. We actually met at a K-Con.

[00:02:43] A K-Con. Yes, yes we did.

[00:02:45] We met at K-Con 2013 in the dance tent, because that's where I used to live before I became a panelist, literally the next year.

[00:02:53] Yeah.

[00:02:54] My goal was to do it in two years. And I'm like, it's gonna take me a while.

[00:02:58] And somebody discovered me who knew somebody who knew somebody and it made it happen.

[00:03:02] So that was the trajectory for how I got a lot of exposure in that window of time.

[00:03:07] But now I'm an old head and all of this.

[00:03:09] So it's like, you know, second-gen, third-gen fans who really, really know who I am.

[00:03:14] And a lot of people just pick up on me from past stuff they get on the internet.

[00:03:19] Yes, you're in the right place to be.

[00:03:21] That's right.

[00:03:22] But yes, y'all. It is. Like I said, time for that K-Pop pop off.

[00:03:26] And if you're new to CCTV and our pop off episodes every month, we put up polls on our Patreon, Twitter and Instagram and YouTube community pages at CCTV Pops.

[00:03:36] And you all, all you beautiful people get to vote for three of K-Pop's biggest release of the month to battle it out in our song, video and performance rounds.

[00:03:45] And of course, Patreon members get a priority choice.

[00:03:49] Okay? So if your favorite was on the list and didn't make it, it's because you're not in that Patreon, honey.

[00:03:54] So make sure you join us at patreon.com slash CCTV Pops.

[00:03:58] And of course, we do have a free tier, so no pressure. Come join us.

[00:04:02] And also, subscribe if you haven't because we're almost at 3K.

[00:04:04] We're almost at 3K and your support means the world to us.

[00:04:07] So come and join our CCTV crew and our producers on Patreon.

[00:04:11] And that is Emily, George, Lily, Louie, Juliet, Jonathan, and our newest producer, Shaquille!

[00:04:19] Hey! Yes!

[00:04:20] And as a reminder, this is meant for pure fun. Please do not take it too seriously.

[00:04:25] Music is subjective and that's why it's so fun to talk about.

[00:04:28] So you should join in and let us know what wins for you and what you think of all of these songs in the comments.

[00:04:33] So this month, you voted for XG, Howling, Taeyang, Letter to Myself, and G-Dragon, Home Sweet Home featuring Taeyang and Daesong.

[00:04:45] So let's get ready to rumble!

[00:04:49] Round one.

[00:04:52] All right. First up in the ring is Player One XG with Howling.

[00:04:57] And this was done by Chancellor, Jacobs, Nave, Jaeyang, and Lyriks.

[00:05:03] All right now. So Jacobs is, if I'm not mistaken, the rapper from Dalmatian, their manager, like the whole thing.

[00:05:11] If you know Dalmatian, y'all, I know you know Dalmatian.

[00:05:14] I remember Dalmatian.

[00:05:16] So a lot of people don't know that, but some people have figured it out now.

[00:05:19] I just had a moment. As soon as you said it, I'm like Dalmatian in my head.

[00:05:23] Like, man, oh, that was a moment.

[00:05:26] Yeah.

[00:05:27] It was.

[00:05:27] We have some names that we recognize and also Chancellor.

[00:05:29] Chancellor is like an R&B.

[00:05:31] He's not a rapper, is he?

[00:05:33] But he can, he does a hip hop R&B.

[00:05:34] He does a lot of writing.

[00:05:35] He does a lot of writing for XG.

[00:05:36] So Ashley, kick us off.

[00:05:38] Tell us how you feel about the production, the hooks, the vocals.

[00:05:41] Talk about the song overall.

[00:05:42] Absolutely.

[00:05:43] One of the things I want to specifically point out, and this is when I get on all my historian stuff.

[00:05:49] One of the things I want to specifically point out about this, of the three songs that have been voted on, this is the one that by far sounds the most different from everything.

[00:05:58] We have a historical expectation with one.

[00:06:01] We have a Taylor Swift era's kind of vibe with another.

[00:06:05] And then we have these ladies who no matter what they put out, no one knows what the hell to expect.

[00:06:11] So I love the fact that you have an approach with the very second track on the album being not only the title album, not title, but title track for promotion, but something that has upright bass involved.

[00:06:26] And then it swifts into something that is mild R&B, that you have something that's a little bit of a hip hop jazz angle to it.

[00:06:34] It's extremely unexpected.

[00:06:36] And that's because of the arrangement.

[00:06:38] Musicality and arrangement are always the same thing.

[00:06:41] You can have the music of something, but then someone comes in like Chancellor and hears it.

[00:06:46] He's like, no, no, no.

[00:06:47] This part needs to transition, not with a string or an explosion, but an actual howl.

[00:06:52] So at every given count of eight, there's a howl in the song just to reinforce who the girls are.

[00:06:58] And I just, I think that's dope.

[00:07:00] Lyrics wise, I feel like it'll be a while before they can top Woke Up.

[00:07:08] Woke Up, they came out slugging.

[00:07:10] Whereas with this, it's more engaging with the chorus and what the women are doing, but it's still a fun song.

[00:07:16] I'm a fan and I'm super biased.

[00:07:18] My last podcast episode was about them.

[00:07:21] So clearly I've got some biases there, but I do love the arrangement of it.

[00:07:26] If you can find a clean instrumental of this to listen to, it's slick.

[00:07:31] Word up.

[00:07:32] I, you know, I agree.

[00:07:34] I think that's what surprised me because I heard that intro.

[00:07:37] Any anime fans would be thinking like either Cowboy Bebop.

[00:07:40] Cowboy Bebop.

[00:07:41] Yep.

[00:07:42] Sounds like Tank from Cowboy Bebop.

[00:07:44] So, I know we listed a bunch of names, but whoever produced it, obviously the names are different.

[00:07:48] They, but whoever produced it, go off.

[00:07:50] Whatever you were thinking at that time, great job.

[00:07:52] That's what makes the switch even cooler.

[00:07:54] I think the distorted like bass and guitar makes it sound gritty.

[00:07:58] And then you have the way their vocals are produced and the way these girls are trained.

[00:08:03] You can definitely hear that their accent is really good.

[00:08:06] It's a shame that they actually aren't writing and they aren't trying to do like Japanese raps as well.

[00:08:11] I mean, I'm curious to see what they would do with their own kind of personalities in their songs as opposed to someone else writing for them and them using their training to articulate the art, which is fine.

[00:08:21] They do a really good job of having like the American black accent.

[00:08:24] I think it's great.

[00:08:24] Their voices are so smooth on this very gritty beat.

[00:08:27] And I was like, oh, this is nice.

[00:08:28] And I mean, coming from, um, if you know, you know, and something, um, something ain't right.

[00:08:34] They were so much brighter, but this song you have to shout out to what you were saying about like the, the, the atmosphere of the song being maintained throughout.

[00:08:41] There's a who in the, in the chorus.

[00:08:44] I was like, oh, hang on.

[00:08:45] What's going on?

[00:08:46] So I liked the whole idea of a world being built within the song.

[00:08:50] So that's why it does sound different from the other two contestants in the pop off this month.

[00:08:54] Um, but yeah, I feel like for the way it was written, I appreciate it more.

[00:08:59] Um, then woke up cause woke up was like almost like mixed tape.

[00:09:03] Everyone just spit in 16 bars.

[00:09:05] This one rappers got three parts, three rappers, three parts.

[00:09:09] It was split up really nicely, but I have to say the vocal line definitely stole the show for me chorus.

[00:09:14] They sounded good.

[00:09:15] Prehook.

[00:09:15] They sounded good.

[00:09:16] But when the bridge came around, we got harmonies.

[00:09:18] I'm like, come on.

[00:09:18] Thank you.

[00:09:20] Thank you.

[00:09:20] I mean, one of y'all just did a flow cover for the tour.

[00:09:23] Like the fact that you guys aren't harmonizing with girls who are, aren't being vocal trained is killing me.

[00:09:27] And it finally happened.

[00:09:28] I was like, yeah, yeah.

[00:09:29] Yes.

[00:09:30] We got one harmony.

[00:09:31] Yeah.

[00:09:32] But they reserved it for the album.

[00:09:34] They reserved it for the album.

[00:09:35] And I respect that.

[00:09:36] But it's true that I wish they would have gone off at the end.

[00:09:39] I think at the end, if they really would have been like, let those girls blow their little faces off with that last.

[00:09:45] Cause it's good that Jordan there.

[00:09:46] She's great.

[00:09:47] She's a good center for the ending of the song.

[00:09:49] But I feel like if they wouldn't have to have the vocalist kind of go.

[00:09:54] Something just to kind of really drive them crazy.

[00:09:58] I'm not asking about Beyonce notes, but I am asking for some blowing.

[00:10:00] Okay.

[00:10:02] Yes.

[00:10:03] Yeah.

[00:10:04] Definitely on the same page.

[00:10:05] I think with both of you, the production itself is awesome.

[00:10:08] Like the really low synth, the trappy percussion, the way they use the howling sounds was what

[00:10:14] sometimes it's unexpected.

[00:10:15] Sometimes it's where exactly you want it to be too.

[00:10:19] So the overall, I think production of it, the intensity of it is awesome.

[00:10:24] I love also the way they did kind of the etherealness of the, of the pre-chorus and the bridge,

[00:10:31] and then how it kind of combines with the intensity for the chorus.

[00:10:36] Uh, but I will say the course is actually my least favorite part of the song.

[00:10:39] I think, um, I wish, I wish it was a bit more, uh, I don't know if you're going to sing about howling and growling,

[00:10:48] but you're going to sing it with just such a light kind of breathy mix.

[00:10:54] It doesn't fully, I don't know.

[00:10:56] It doesn't, it just didn't climax the way I wanted it to in that chorus.

[00:10:59] I think it feels like you get dumped into it a little bit.

[00:11:03] Honestly, it's like, Oh, blowed up.

[00:11:05] Oh, okay.

[00:11:07] Yeah.

[00:11:07] And maybe some ad-libs and stuff at the end.

[00:11:10] Maybe that would have, would have helped that a little bit, but yeah, that's my one kind of little thing where I kind of got to the chorus and I wanted a bit,

[00:11:15] maybe just more power or just intensity in the vocal delivery there, but I do like it a lot.

[00:11:21] I think they're awesome.

[00:11:22] They, they definitely have carved a really great lane for themselves.

[00:11:25] So.

[00:11:25] Word up, word up.

[00:11:27] Yeah.

[00:11:27] All right.

[00:11:27] That being said, we're going to move right on to player two, Taeyeon with Letter to Myself.

[00:11:32] This was done by Dino Medzenhodzik, mm-hmm, daughter, Reena Loveless, Loveless, excuse me, Nia Loveless, Casey Moretta and Yuna Ha.

[00:11:43] Why do I get the ones with the names?

[00:11:45] We trying, you know, sorry, y'all.

[00:11:48] All right, Ashley, give this right back off.

[00:11:50] What do you feel about Taeyeon in Letter to Myself?

[00:11:54] Um, I feel like this is by far the album and the single that pushes her the most in terms of vocal maturity.

[00:12:00] She has a voice that is solidly consistent.

[00:12:04] We've heard it for 15 plus years at this point, but you hear growth in this one.

[00:12:09] Yes, she still could have challenged herself by adding a little bit more of Sasson on the runs.

[00:12:14] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:14] But there's a high note she hits in the second chorus, where it's like, oh, okay, madam.

[00:12:20] It's real clean, real crisp.

[00:12:22] It's, you're gonna consistently get consistency from her, but you hear a more articulated performance in English now.

[00:12:29] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:29] You feel a little bit more of a tugging on the emotions of what the song is trying to convey.

[00:12:34] I, being able to have, um, Hey Violet be a part of this, which is, I mean, they used to be known as Cherry Bomb when I knew of them.

[00:12:42] I don't even know when they became Hey Violet.

[00:12:44] But I lived in LA when they were still Cherry Bomb, and they are pop rock.

[00:12:50] They do EDM.

[00:12:51] Um, so to be able to have them a little bit involved in it was just, it was extremely unexpected.

[00:12:57] But the penmanship, the writing and everything fairly consistent with what those women delivered to the table too.

[00:13:03] I think, aside from the fact that some of the, some of the production, not the production, but the melody sound familiar.

[00:13:12] And that's just simply because there's so much music out there and we have so much access to it.

[00:13:16] It's only so many times that you can innovate.

[00:13:18] It doesn't mean anything was poached or stolen or whatnot, but it does put me in the Taylor Swift.

[00:13:24] Thank you, doggy.

[00:13:25] Dog co-signed it.

[00:13:26] Puts me in the Taylor Swift area with it.

[00:13:28] It really does.

[00:13:30] Um, uh, they're close in age.

[00:13:32] If not, Tay Tay being a little bit older.

[00:13:35] I think what, Tay-Yong is 35 at this point, international age.

[00:13:39] Well, they don't longer have 35, 36.

[00:13:41] So she's just 35.

[00:13:42] How good so?

[00:13:43] Being able to be in a space.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:46] Where your life experiences are impacting the lyrics and whatnot.

[00:13:49] I don't believe she had a lot of involvement with penning any of this, but she delivers on it solidly.

[00:13:55] Yet and still, I will probably skip it.

[00:13:58] Mmm.

[00:13:59] Sorry.

[00:14:00] Good song.

[00:14:00] It's a good song, but I'm at a point now where I'm looking for more movement, more momentum from my music.

[00:14:07] And what she's talking about, which is a song that's basically giving yourself less of a hard time.

[00:14:13] And I respect that.

[00:14:14] I'm past that.

[00:14:15] I'm big age.

[00:14:16] So it doesn't resonate in the same way with me.

[00:14:19] Quality song, but I'd probably skip.

[00:14:22] You know, I have similar mentions in my notes too, about like how many years she's been like, it's been 17 years.

[00:14:27] She's an amazing vocalist.

[00:14:28] We all know that she can sing her face off.

[00:14:29] Like literally before this, this, we hopped on, I was singing the bridge for Jeannie.

[00:14:34] Cause she goes off.

[00:14:35] I was like, she goes off.

[00:14:36] Oh yeah.

[00:14:38] I'm like at the bridge, the outro.

[00:14:39] I'm like, come on.

[00:14:40] We all know she can sing.

[00:14:41] We all can hear it.

[00:14:42] Um, I think the rock style of this music, like that she's something I'm used to.

[00:14:46] Like the style of the music is something I'm used to.

[00:14:48] Like you mentioned, I'm like, I've heard this already.

[00:14:50] Um, and like, obvious, obviously she does have the vocal chops to deliver and back up the largeness of the song.

[00:14:57] That's like the largeness that's trying to come out of the song.

[00:15:01] I will say, cause I feel like it's just shy of something.

[00:15:03] I thought about like, okay, what I want to hear Avril singing this.

[00:15:05] And the answer is yeah, but Avril would have taken it somewhere because she knows what to do.

[00:15:11] She'll put on a guitar and go ham in the bridge.

[00:15:14] We'll give us an actual bridge.

[00:15:15] Or even Willow for that matter.

[00:15:17] Willow will a snap.

[00:15:18] Willow, yeah.

[00:15:19] Somebody else would have given me something that was true to them.

[00:15:22] And unfortunately we've talked, Chris have said it.

[00:15:24] And I think a couple of people have agreed with us.

[00:15:26] Some so-ons has agreed with us.

[00:15:27] She is a nondescript artist, but because her voice is so distinct, it turns into a okay.

[00:15:33] Like she is SM's standard.

[00:15:36] She's the paragon for, if it's not Bada, it's her.

[00:15:38] You got to sound like one of those two chicks.

[00:15:40] Love that for her.

[00:15:42] Unfortunately, unfortunately the vocal textures, you know, they are perfect.

[00:15:46] I love the way she whispers certain vocals and she belts certain vocals.

[00:15:50] There's no bridge.

[00:15:51] The song in sentiment is wow.

[00:15:53] Love that for you.

[00:15:54] But the song and sonics, not there.

[00:15:57] The meaning is more powerful than the music in this case.

[00:16:00] The chorus is also a little too short for me in the first half of the song.

[00:16:03] I thought we would get a B chorus.

[00:16:04] Much like with Howling, I get the whole vibe of them just being cool and just be like,

[00:16:08] we're a pack of wolves.

[00:16:09] Ooh.

[00:16:10] Yes.

[00:16:10] It could have done well with the B chorus.

[00:16:12] But with this one, I just felt like it just ended.

[00:16:14] Cause like the, my head, my head part.

[00:16:17] I was like, okay.

[00:16:18] I was kind of thinking of the zombies.

[00:16:19] I'm almost saying the zombies.

[00:16:21] Zombies.

[00:16:21] Zombies.

[00:16:22] I'm sorry.

[00:16:23] Yeah.

[00:16:24] That's a good song.

[00:16:24] It is.

[00:16:30] And I feel like the song feels very come and go much like the rest of the album that

[00:16:33] I also listened to.

[00:16:34] It wasn't that great.

[00:16:36] I'm so sorry.

[00:16:37] That's a production thing right now.

[00:16:39] I'm even guilty of it.

[00:16:40] When I produce stuff under the Miss Blink moniker, I have a whole project where nothing

[00:16:45] is past a minute and 15 or a minute and 42 seconds.

[00:16:48] We're super guilty of it right now.

[00:16:50] As concise as possible, as full and robust as possible.

[00:16:53] And then get rid of it.

[00:16:56] Yeah.

[00:16:56] It's awful because it's an actual fight to get a three and a half or four minute vibe

[00:17:01] going.

[00:17:02] So she delivers on this.

[00:17:03] These are the fields I'm feeling.

[00:17:05] And bye.

[00:17:06] And you know, you just gotta go with it.

[00:17:09] Yeah.

[00:17:10] No, it is interesting.

[00:17:11] Cause I, yeah, I agree with both of you.

[00:17:13] I don't, I don't think I would skip it, but it's definitely not a favorite of mine amongst

[00:17:18] Taeyeon's discography.

[00:17:19] But like you just said Chantel and what I have complained a lot of the time with her solo

[00:17:25] stuff is there, she does not have a sound like at all.

[00:17:28] No.

[00:17:28] She just kind of sings kind of whatever's on trend or just, you know, I don't know.

[00:17:33] Like it's just not there and her voice is great, but it's just, it's almost too clean.

[00:17:38] In a way.

[00:17:39] Like this song required a bit of grit, like a bit of rest.

[00:17:43] Yeah.

[00:17:44] But you mentioned Avril.

[00:17:45] Yeah.

[00:17:45] I was thinking also Kelly Clarkson.

[00:17:47] I love you.

[00:17:47] Kill this.

[00:17:49] Yes.

[00:17:49] We also just reviewed Ali and AJ's album.

[00:17:51] Even them.

[00:17:52] I think they would have done it.

[00:17:54] Yeah.

[00:17:54] They could have done something a little bit more with it.

[00:17:56] Cause I think as a song, the base is actually there.

[00:17:59] It's almost just too clean.

[00:18:01] It's just too pop in a way.

[00:18:03] Yeah.

[00:18:04] So yeah, that's kind of my, my biggest issue with it.

[00:18:07] Cause even vocal processing wise, there's just, it's just too, like I was watching her

[00:18:13] do the behind the scenes, like studio recording video that they put up and it sounds so much

[00:18:18] better.

[00:18:18] Just kind of raw.

[00:18:20] Yeah.

[00:18:20] From those clips, the way they, the way they did everything.

[00:18:23] You take out the emotion that's there and the song required even more.

[00:18:30] So yeah.

[00:18:31] Do you think that she is like unable given the generation that she came up as a

[00:18:37] artist and whatnot, but do you believe she's unable to create her own colors because she's

[00:18:43] the lead of girls generation, a group that is not allowed to create its own colors.

[00:18:48] Like they maintain a lane.

[00:18:50] You know, that's tough because like take Tame in for a second.

[00:18:54] He doesn't write a lick of his music, but you know what?

[00:18:56] He knows what his artistry is.

[00:18:57] It's dark, angsty, sexy.

[00:18:59] Like I'm never going to be over idea.

[00:19:02] Some people don't get it.

[00:19:03] Oh my God.

[00:19:03] I love it.

[00:19:04] Just the mention.

[00:19:05] Right.

[00:19:05] Exactly.

[00:19:06] But he knows what his line, even with his new song with the new company, it sounds like

[00:19:10] something he would have done.

[00:19:11] It would have been an album.

[00:19:11] Yes.

[00:19:11] I think that SM, but I don't think Tan has like a vision for her.

[00:19:17] Yeah.

[00:19:17] I mean, even we've talked about Ho-yeon.

[00:19:20] Oh my God.

[00:19:20] I've heard of this show before and I'm not a huge fan of her music, but she does have

[00:19:24] a sound.

[00:19:25] She does.

[00:19:26] That DJ.

[00:19:26] She does have a sound.

[00:19:28] That DJ thing.

[00:19:29] Yeah.

[00:19:29] And even Tiffany, like when she was kind of still attempting her solo career.

[00:19:33] Mm-hmm.

[00:19:34] If you kind of go across those couple of English songs that she did, there is a consistency

[00:19:37] there too, that I think could have obviously been taken a bit further.

[00:19:41] Yeah.

[00:19:41] So yeah, it could also be SM, right?

[00:19:44] It could be just her being held back by saying where she's been since she was a child.

[00:19:48] Mm-hmm.

[00:19:49] Mm-hmm.

[00:19:50] Mm-hmm.

[00:19:51] Dang.

[00:19:51] So, yeah.

[00:19:52] I don't know.

[00:19:54] I don't know.

[00:19:55] I always wonder, cause I always go back to the album that they did for their 15th anniversary

[00:20:01] and there was so much massive expectation and whatnot.

[00:20:04] And there were some songs that were great, but they are a standard.

[00:20:08] They are a sign of classic SM where we're not doing more than we need to.

[00:20:13] You women assume the role through costuming and through videography, not necessarily through

[00:20:19] unique individual colors of how you deliver on the song, despite the fact that every single

[00:20:24] one of y'all can sing in different capacities.

[00:20:25] So, I do wonder.

[00:20:27] I don't know.

[00:20:28] I feel like at this point, at mid 30, you've experienced enough where you gotta throw a

[00:20:34] little bit of something extra out there on an album.

[00:20:38] Your fans are going to receive it, cause she does it during live performances.

[00:20:41] Yeah.

[00:20:42] Ooh.

[00:20:42] I don't know.

[00:20:44] We have to drop a album.

[00:20:45] Okay.

[00:20:45] I'm curious to see what you have to say about G-Dragon, because he is our third player

[00:20:49] with Home Sweet Home featuring Taeyang and Daesung.

[00:20:53] And this was done by GD, Teddy, Choice37, 24, Vivian, and Kush.

[00:21:00] And these are the typical YG names, which I'm not gonna say I'm surprised about, but it's

[00:21:04] interesting that he's working with those people, you know?

[00:21:10] Eh, cause we've had some things to say about the YG production team from both the Black label

[00:21:15] and YG currently now.

[00:21:17] So yeah, Ash, definitely kick us off, let us know, cause I know you're a GD stan, so.

[00:21:22] Oh, I am a severe one.

[00:21:25] And, um, oh my gosh.

[00:21:29] Bias aside, because the music is gonna speak, and I'm a historian.

[00:21:33] I'm gonna pull from that side before I pull from Ashley talking s**t.

[00:21:36] So, the fact that they went back and intentionally worked with those who are familiar with the

[00:21:44] Big Bang sound, the fact that they went back and grabbed something that sounded like early

[00:21:49] Big Bang, not necessarily as early as when they dropped alive, because that was, that is

[00:21:54] a standard that shifted everything for the entire industry and for their sound.

[00:21:59] But you're doing a call back about where you came from and how you said you'd never leave.

[00:22:03] Even the, the iconography of having three houses, which are supposed to be structurally sound.

[00:22:09] And you see the shadow of the two that have changed in a different direction.

[00:22:12] Being able to go back and have people who refuse to change their production style and their, uh, composition and their arrangement to be able to deliver on this.

[00:22:23] I found it interesting and I found it, um, almost completionist.

[00:22:29] If you are a gamer, you know that you play a game until you've completed every part of it.

[00:22:33] I've given you this off of my upcoming album. Y'all don't know what else I got going on.

[00:22:38] It doesn't sound like power whatsoever. It almost has you confused thinking it's gonna be in the lane of 21's falling in love because it damn there starts off Caribbean vibes.

[00:22:48] Yeah. And then it switches into some, some, something different.

[00:22:52] The lyrics I enjoy far more than the music way more.

[00:22:56] And I also enjoy how the arrangement has it where you can't at some points tell if it's, if it's young Bay or if it's GD talking, you have no idea just based on the way that they're trying to intermingle and reaffirm the fact that big bang is still home.

[00:23:11] Yeah. You live on the hill of beatus, but it was built on the back of blah, blah, blah, you know? So I just, I don't like it. I enjoy the lyrics, but I don't like the song. I listened to it multiple times this morning. I have a 40 minute commute to work and I listened to it in the nuances and I'm like, Teddy, ain't you tired?

[00:23:34] Aren't you tired? Don't you want to try something a little bit different? Like it's, it's absolutely formulaic. But if I was GDragon and I haven't released anything in seven years and when I released my project seven years ago and I went on tour and told y'all I was done with whatever this is, it was necessary to go back.

[00:23:54] So I mean, I get it. It's crisp. Sonically is where it should be, but it is not enjoyable, especially after you hear power first.

[00:24:06] Sheesh. The grit on that, the sound of it, the, the word play, if you have any familiarity with Korean to just read it from English to whatever your, your main language is in terms of translating it, it doesn't connect.

[00:24:22] But if you know Korean, the cadences that he's doing, the word play is disgusting. He literally picked his crown up and just tilted it. It never came off.

[00:24:30] But with this, it's a little tarnished. It's a little, it's a little air.

[00:24:34] Oh, my microphone is peaking. You got me cackling.

[00:24:40] So, you know, I like how the song glowers in the beginning because I didn't know it was going. Like you said, it was doing something and I'm like, oh, what is this something?

[00:24:47] I will say I'm kind of like, it sounded ominous in the beginning almost.

[00:24:52] And I thought it was going to.

[00:24:56] I don't know. I'm actually surprised they even made the freaking the list this week, this month, but I was just like, OK, OK.

[00:25:04] And then the 80s kind of sound comes in and I was just like, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK.

[00:25:09] Now, this doesn't purposely try to sound too much like Big Bang because it didn't have like the big explosive ending that YG has beaten to death with their group.

[00:25:18] Can you imagine you started something and everyone's like, you know, we like that.

[00:25:23] We're going to do it for everybody after.

[00:25:24] We're going to maintain it for life.

[00:25:27] Now, if you go back to it, they'll be like, what you doing?

[00:25:30] You know, derivative.

[00:25:31] Yes.

[00:25:33] I would hate.

[00:25:34] I would be so I would be so sick if that was me.

[00:25:37] But yeah, I appreciate that there was no like, you know, take him home, guys.

[00:25:41] No halftime breakdown.

[00:25:43] He could have done a lot of the typical usual suspects of like a very catchy hook.

[00:25:50] Could have done something that was like a catchy ending.

[00:25:52] He could have had the guys singing a little bit more than they would.

[00:25:55] But again, this is his song.

[00:25:57] The boys are featured.

[00:25:58] They and they are featured on it.

[00:26:00] And I appreciate that they sound like their features.

[00:26:02] You know, I'm saying it doesn't like they're all like, let's just try to pull back a demo that we recorded about like two years ago when we were recorded still life.

[00:26:11] And I appreciate that.

[00:26:12] It's not that.

[00:26:13] But like you mentioned, it's not strong enough, which is why I'm surprised that power didn't make it.

[00:26:19] Well, it is what it is.

[00:26:20] I do appreciate his combination of singing and rapping in the English and Korean because he doesn't just throw English in too much to sound like cool.

[00:26:28] And I mean, yeah, he might throw it in there, but it's not like zip your lip and close your tongue that SM would do.

[00:26:33] You know what I'm saying?

[00:26:34] Like, yeah, Senorita was terrible.

[00:26:37] But the point is, I appreciate him still having his artistry in this song.

[00:26:44] You can tell it's his song.

[00:26:45] Right.

[00:26:45] Anyone anyone else could have done it with the production.

[00:26:48] Yeah, sure.

[00:26:48] But no one else could have written it the way he written it.

[00:26:50] He wrote it.

[00:26:51] Excuse me.

[00:26:51] But yeah, I also shout out to Jeannie's reference in the bridge with still life being his line.

[00:26:57] I was like, oh, that's so sweet.

[00:26:58] That was a fun little nod.

[00:26:59] But yeah, I mean, it's okay.

[00:27:01] The song is not my favorite.

[00:27:06] I feel like the whole nostalgia of it makes me a little bit more attached to it.

[00:27:10] But I would say that I like it a little bit more.

[00:27:13] I would say I like it a little bit more than Taeyeon's song.

[00:27:18] Really?

[00:27:19] Really?

[00:27:19] Just a little bit more.

[00:27:21] And I think it's just because I heard Taeyeon sing.

[00:27:23] And I'm a sim for that, man.

[00:27:25] I'm so sorry.

[00:27:26] It is hard as a Big Bang fan not to just like this just because it's something new from them.

[00:27:31] Yeah.

[00:27:32] Yeah.

[00:27:33] It definitely is.

[00:27:34] Because I think you're right.

[00:27:36] I think if you look at it more just as a we've been gone for a while and we know the sound that you want from us.

[00:27:43] So we're just going to give it to you now as we're like starting all of our comebacks again.

[00:27:49] Yeah.

[00:27:50] I just think that's okay because I think the song at least sonically, even though the production and everything sounds exactly like so much of what they've done before.

[00:27:58] At least it's not completely derivative.

[00:28:02] Right.

[00:28:03] Right.

[00:28:03] It's like they stole a melody from anything.

[00:28:05] I can't really point to a Big Bang song that sounds exactly like this.

[00:28:09] Not at all.

[00:28:09] So I at least appreciate it in that sense that it does stand on its own as kind of a new song.

[00:28:16] And lyrically, you know, of course, I love all the little references to Big Bang and the past singles and his past singles and everything.

[00:28:23] Yeah.

[00:28:23] I don't know.

[00:28:24] It's I think it's anthemic.

[00:28:26] You know, it's fun, you know, for a concert.

[00:28:29] There is still kind of a pensiveness, a sadness there as well, which I think creates kind of an interesting dynamic when you listen to it.

[00:28:38] So, yeah, I don't think I hate it that as much, maybe, or dislike it as much as the two of you.

[00:28:44] I don't think it's even close to being, you know, as good as what Big Bang and GD have put out.

[00:28:49] Yeah.

[00:28:50] Absolutely.

[00:28:51] On both sides.

[00:28:52] But I'm not mad at it.

[00:28:53] Like, just as a fan, it is fun to have something new.

[00:28:56] And it does feel fresh in a way.

[00:28:58] If you're going to work with the same people, this is at least not completely just a copy.

[00:29:05] Yeah.

[00:29:05] Yeah.

[00:29:05] I think it's not like the 80s.

[00:29:06] I'm like, so over it.

[00:29:08] But it is what it is.

[00:29:09] It's not terrible.

[00:29:10] So.

[00:29:10] I don't think they, well, I'm guilty of sense.

[00:29:13] I live for sense.

[00:29:14] But I don't think they laid into it as badly as they could.

[00:29:17] My deepest critique always lies on Teddy.

[00:29:20] Always.

[00:29:21] Yeah.

[00:29:21] That's right.

[00:29:22] I mean, I've been doing that at this point.

[00:29:24] Me and Teddy been at this for 12 years.

[00:29:26] Like, you gotta, you have to challenge yourself.

[00:29:32] And when a producer becomes stagnant, like.

[00:29:36] Mm-hmm.

[00:29:37] Yeah.

[00:29:38] Yeah.

[00:29:38] Yeah.

[00:29:38] And the rest of the gentlemen could have done this acapella and it would have bopped.

[00:29:43] Oh.

[00:29:43] It would have carried far farther than what Teddy brought.

[00:29:47] And I don't gang up on choice that much.

[00:29:49] Choice kind of get thrown in there just like in the doggone one of a kind video where he's

[00:29:53] just like happy to be here.

[00:29:54] I'm just happy to be here.

[00:29:56] I blame Teddy.

[00:29:58] I blame Teddy.

[00:29:59] Yeah.

[00:29:59] Yeah.

[00:29:59] You have to diversify yourself.

[00:30:01] It's almost always the same tonal inflections.

[00:30:04] It's almost always the same tempo.

[00:30:08] Mm-hmm.

[00:30:08] So at some point you have to challenge yourself as a producer or retire, you know, or not.

[00:30:16] He's happy being the Tyler Perry of YG and that works for him.

[00:30:21] So happy with that.

[00:30:24] And I can't even say that.

[00:30:25] I'm over here.

[00:30:27] I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[00:30:29] And clearly he has it.

[00:30:30] I just don't really gravitate towards it too much anymore.

[00:30:34] So, you know, I'm glad that GD did that and gave that little nod over to where he was birthed.

[00:30:41] And I have extremely high expectations for this upcoming project.

[00:30:47] Yeah.

[00:30:49] He's not going to be able to escape the expectations that everybody has.

[00:30:53] Yeah.

[00:30:53] We'll see.

[00:30:54] Mm.

[00:30:55] All right.

[00:30:56] That brings our song around to a close.

[00:31:00] So everyone, who is the winner for this round?

[00:31:03] So Ashley, you're going to kick us off.

[00:31:04] Who wins it?

[00:31:05] Who takes it?

[00:31:07] Y'all going to laugh when I say this.

[00:31:12] Y'all going to laugh when I say it.

[00:31:14] I know.

[00:31:14] I feel like I know because your reaction to what I said earlier.

[00:31:17] I feel like I know.

[00:31:17] Go ahead.

[00:31:18] Talk yourself.

[00:31:19] GDragon wins this for me.

[00:31:20] Oh, really?

[00:31:21] Okay.

[00:31:21] I'm surprised.

[00:31:25] GDragon wins this for me.

[00:31:26] Téan gave us nothing new that we didn't expect from her.

[00:31:29] And we are still too young and fresh for us to have any concrete expectation from them anyway.

[00:31:35] We know that every time they do something, it's going to be different.

[00:31:38] Whereas with this, he delivered on something that brought nostalgia.

[00:31:42] It had penmanship.

[00:31:44] It had all of the stuff.

[00:31:45] I mean, it marks it.

[00:31:46] I don't have to like it for it to be the truth for me.

[00:31:49] So I'm picking that one as the winner.

[00:31:53] Wow.

[00:31:53] I did not expect that.

[00:31:57] And that's how my show is.

[00:31:59] No one expects one.

[00:32:00] I was thinking like, oh my gosh, really?

[00:32:03] The musicality speaks.

[00:32:04] I don't have to like it for it to be the winner.

[00:32:06] We have to have her on for another episode because literally I'll give like a negative review.

[00:32:10] But yeah, the song is actually really good.

[00:32:14] So for me, I'm going to give it to, I am going to give it to XG because their sound when they do rap sounds like this.

[00:32:20] This is their sound when they rap.

[00:32:22] I do like the song.

[00:32:23] I think for them, for me rather, excuse me, I like the way it sounds.

[00:32:28] The song production is so good.

[00:32:30] It's sleek.

[00:32:30] I like the way it's delivered.

[00:32:32] And I prefer, I prefer this distribution for the rappers as opposed like the mixtape or like cypher style that they did in the past.

[00:32:38] So this is showing the growth from something that they've already established.

[00:32:41] In my opinion.

[00:32:43] But yeah, like for me, this one takes it howling for me.

[00:32:46] Okay.

[00:32:47] I will agree with Ashley.

[00:32:50] I knew it.

[00:32:50] Yes.

[00:32:51] It is tough because I, it is so hard for me to separate my Big Bang fandom completely.

[00:32:59] And so part of it definitely is just the excitement of having them on a song together again.

[00:33:05] But if I had to listen to a song again now, it would be that one.

[00:33:08] I think the whole, there's just so much to, to, to feel in it.

[00:33:13] And I think the vocal execution is just awesome.

[00:33:16] So yeah.

[00:33:18] Yeah.

[00:33:18] There we go.

[00:33:19] Word up.

[00:33:19] I understand y'all.

[00:33:20] I understand.

[00:33:21] I'm all about XG.

[00:33:22] I cannot deny them women.

[00:33:24] Boy, they had me, the entire concert like.

[00:33:28] JP, it's like y'all better rap, y'all better sing.

[00:33:31] But yeah, for this, I just, after listening to every single song for like three hours to

[00:33:37] really ensure that I felt how I felt, I'm like, man, this raggedy song went.

[00:33:42] Okay.

[00:33:43] Not raggedy.

[00:33:46] Round two.

[00:33:49] Okay.

[00:33:50] So luckily the raggedy song doesn't have a music video.

[00:33:52] So guys, we do do our music video rounds and we talk about the video and everything like

[00:33:56] that, but GD doesn't have a music video.

[00:33:58] He has like a gearing up to the mama and that's, we can't do that in here.

[00:34:01] That doesn't count.

[00:34:02] It does not count at all, at all, at all.

[00:34:04] So he is disqualified.

[00:34:05] He's the loser.

[00:34:06] All this round.

[00:34:06] But we do have two other videos.

[00:34:08] And that is player one, player two, XG and Taeyang respectively.

[00:34:12] So, um, the video round, I like the video for XG, but I will say it is a bit of a cluster

[00:34:21] duck.

[00:34:22] Um, but I think what, I think what ends up happening with this, uh, director specifically

[00:34:28] because he did girl gang for them and, um, he did girl gang and woke up.

[00:34:35] So the visual branding is there.

[00:34:38] Every time you see one of their rapping tracks is this guy, that surreal realism combination

[00:34:46] where you're like, what the heck did I just look at?

[00:34:48] The camera work, the editing is going along with the beats, which I love.

[00:34:51] Cause a lot of people, especially here in America do not edit with the beats.

[00:34:55] They'll just sit there and have, here's a cut.

[00:34:57] Here's a pan.

[00:34:58] Here's some symbolism that you have to figure out.

[00:35:00] And I'm like, okay, that's fine.

[00:35:01] But if you're going to have a song and a girl group, you have to differentiate them

[00:35:06] from everyone else.

[00:35:08] They're moving.

[00:35:09] I liked the way it was filmed because it is quite colorful, but then also there's some

[00:35:13] black and white scenes that make it feel like the Blair Witch Project.

[00:35:15] And I'm like, I feel like I'm watching princess Mononoke.

[00:35:18] I feel like I'm watching some space, like cyber punk futuristic thing.

[00:35:23] Like the girls are aliens coming to earth to fight the pigs.

[00:35:26] That's what that QR code went to.

[00:35:29] And I was like, get out of here.

[00:35:31] Whoever these pigs are, they're here to like, just destroy them.

[00:35:34] And I was like, this is, it's, it's intense.

[00:35:37] And they, their team is not afraid to make them look ugly, weird, scary, monstrous.

[00:35:42] And I, I appreciate it.

[00:35:43] Cause with just kind of side, a little bit of slight to baby monster, their name is baby

[00:35:48] monster.

[00:35:48] And they haven't done a single ugly thing yet.

[00:35:50] They haven't done.

[00:35:51] All I've done is wore designer clothes and look really pretty and perfect.

[00:35:56] These girls don't mind hunching over, you know, contracting their body.

[00:36:01] So they look more animalistic.

[00:36:03] They understand each girl had a creature and they embodied that creature.

[00:36:07] And when they were dancing together, it was so impactful.

[00:36:10] When I first watched the video and heard the, and they just once sustained motion.

[00:36:15] And I was like, oh my gosh, this, this is a video.

[00:36:19] I was sold.

[00:36:20] But again, it's the, the, the legit, the editing is a bit of a cluster duck though.

[00:36:25] It's a bit chaotic.

[00:36:26] There is a thing that's too much editing.

[00:36:28] But what I will say with all that editing, it didn't feel like he got lost in his own

[00:36:33] sauce.

[00:36:33] This man, the director saw what he needed to see and I respect it.

[00:36:38] But for someone just watching it, it could be a little bit of a visual overload, but

[00:36:41] for them, for the most part, I think it was, it, it stands out and there's no other girl

[00:36:46] group that has videos like this.

[00:36:47] You can watch it without the music and be like, what is this about?

[00:36:51] So yeah, I think it tells a good story.

[00:36:53] It's in line with what they're trying to do with their branding.

[00:36:55] And yeah, it's consistent.

[00:36:58] So yeah, this one is, I like this one.

[00:37:01] Yeah, definitely a lot going on here.

[00:37:04] Like if you have epilepsy, it's just, this would not, you cannot watch this.

[00:37:08] It needs a warning.

[00:37:08] I think in the beginning of it, you know, I think if you look at it more just like from

[00:37:13] a Halloween kind of like horror, kind of like surrealism kind of, kind of way it kind

[00:37:18] of works.

[00:37:19] And every scene really is so cool.

[00:37:21] I do think there were some moments that I was like, you didn't need that.

[00:37:25] You know, it's cool enough without this extra effect.

[00:37:28] You know, you don't need to do the most here.

[00:37:30] Yeah.

[00:37:31] But you know, it has good replay value.

[00:37:33] You know, I watched it like 20 times and each time I noticed a new, you know, 0.2 millisecond

[00:37:38] flash of something different.

[00:37:41] So at least maybe that's what they're going for.

[00:37:44] And you know, every scene at least was cohesive.

[00:37:46] You know, I always talk about some of these other K-pop music videos where it's just like,

[00:37:49] well, it looks like they got access to a set for a cafe today.

[00:37:53] And then now suddenly they're in a field and then I'll suddenly, you know, start a car

[00:37:57] wash, you know, okay.

[00:37:59] This one, you know, it was a cohesive look.

[00:38:02] It was a cohesive plan and setting.

[00:38:04] Each member stood out in their, you know, goddess, spirit, magical girl kind of situation

[00:38:11] and no one was shafted.

[00:38:13] They all got, it looked like they all got, you know, a lot of attention in that makeup

[00:38:17] chair, which is good.

[00:38:20] I will say what was refreshing is how little dancing we saw.

[00:38:24] Oh, yes.

[00:38:25] You know, like they really didn't need to lean on that as a scene.

[00:38:29] We only really saw a couple little moments of it and those moments were impactful, like

[00:38:34] with the moon in the back and all the dancers.

[00:38:36] And then the little Squid Game kind of QR code guys were interesting as well.

[00:38:42] So yeah, I'm impressed by it.

[00:38:44] I was definitely entertained.

[00:38:45] I do.

[00:38:46] It definitely was a little much kind of at first.

[00:38:48] But once you kind of watch it a few times, you kind of know what you're in for.

[00:38:51] Oh, right.

[00:38:52] Right.

[00:38:52] And I think it works.

[00:38:53] Yeah.

[00:38:54] Brauchen wir wirklich noch einen Computer?

[00:38:56] Alle wahrscheinlich nicht.

[00:38:57] Aber wenn du Musik mit der Power eines Neuralprozessors neu erfindest oder unterwegs Migrationsmuster

[00:39:02] mit einem ganztägigen Akku analysierst oder deine Ideen mit dem KI gesteuerten

[00:39:05] Co-Creator zum Leben erwächst, dann kann ein Co-Pilot Plus PC einen Unterschied machen.

[00:39:10] Nicht alle brauchen einen leistungsstärkeren KI-Computer.

[00:39:12] Aber wenn du versuchst, die Welt zu verändern, auch wenn es nur deine eigene ist, haben wir

[00:39:15] einen für dich entwickelt.

[00:39:17] Microsoft Co-Pilot Plus PC mit Snapdragon.

[00:39:19] Die bisher schnellsten und intelligentesten Windows-PCs.

[00:39:22] Die Akkulaufzeit variiert hier nach Nutzung und Einstellungen.

[00:39:24] Damit aus kein Hatschi wird.

[00:39:27] Bei beginnender Erkältung Immopret N.

[00:39:30] Jetzt in der kalten Jahreszeit darf Immopret N nicht fehlen.

[00:39:33] Mit der einzigartigen Sieben-Pflanzen-Kombination kann es die Erkältungsabwehr stärken, Erkältungserreger

[00:39:39] bekämpfen und den Erkältungsverlauf meldern.

[00:39:42] Wenn Erkältung entsteht, Immopret.

[00:39:44] Überzeug dich selbst und hol dir alle Infos auf immopret.de.

[00:39:48] Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen lesen Sie die Packungsbeilage und fragen Sie Ihre Ärztin,

[00:39:52] Ihren Arzt oder in Ihrer Apotheke.

[00:39:54] Das ist valid.

[00:39:56] Even though it was like a lot of visual stimuli,

[00:39:58] I think the thing that I enjoy so much about them is the fact that there's not this whole thing

[00:40:04] of having to figure out lore.

[00:40:06] This is the first time we've gotten something where you could scan something and be like,

[00:40:09] oh, pig?

[00:40:11] Okay.

[00:40:12] Well, y'all are wolves and the pigs.

[00:40:13] Like, are you trying to prevent them from, you know,

[00:40:15] you're trying to blow their house down or whatever the case may be.

[00:40:17] But we don't have a succession of videos that are building upon some ridiculous K-pop elusive lore,

[00:40:26] which is just another differential for this group.

[00:40:29] How they're already in South Korea doing all of the K-pop stuff without remotely using a lot of Konglish

[00:40:36] or Hangul in their stuff whatsoever.

[00:40:39] They're consistently promoting in English.

[00:40:42] So I do, I mean, I didn't even realize it until you said it yet.

[00:40:46] That is totally the same director as it is from, um, from Woke Up.

[00:40:53] And they're not even promoting the same iconography we saw in that.

[00:40:58] Yeah.

[00:40:58] The fact that I can vividly hear the song in my, in my head and see Maya exploding and touching down.

[00:41:06] And that is not what she looked like in the very next video or the video after that or the video after that.

[00:41:12] Like it's constant metamorphosis for the group.

[00:41:16] And the videos do a great job of expressing that.

[00:41:19] My dog said, ooh!

[00:41:22] Love that.

[00:41:24] That was so cute.

[00:41:25] You're right, Daisy.

[00:41:26] It is.

[00:41:26] It's a magical thing.

[00:41:29] That's hilarious.

[00:41:30] Do you guys have a favorite look?

[00:41:32] Just real quick.

[00:41:33] Favorite look?

[00:41:34] Ooh.

[00:41:35] What?

[00:41:36] Not this time.

[00:41:37] It was.

[00:41:37] I'm still stuck on Woke Up.

[00:41:39] And nothing will ever top a shaved head with a crown floating above it with some metallic boots.

[00:41:45] So I still haven't.

[00:41:47] And I've seen everything they've done thereafter.

[00:41:49] But I can't get away from that.

[00:41:52] I'm stuck there.

[00:41:53] I think it's that moon mermaid.

[00:41:55] Yeah, same.

[00:41:56] She ain't that up.

[00:41:57] She's just sitting there in black and white.

[00:41:58] Got no lick of color on her.

[00:42:00] So yeah, if you guys have made it this far, by the way, make sure you hit that like and subscribe button.

[00:42:05] And also, let us know in the comments which costume, which look was your favorite.

[00:42:09] Because honey, they were serving the looks.

[00:42:11] Harvey's is definitely the strangest.

[00:42:12] They guessed that girl like, they don't care.

[00:42:15] They do strange stuff to Harvey.

[00:42:17] Because they're like, well, she's the tallest.

[00:42:18] So let's just see what happens.

[00:42:19] The tallest and the most stacked.

[00:42:21] So let's just have it.

[00:42:23] Oh, Harvey is devastating.

[00:42:25] Harvey used to be a model before she did any of this.

[00:42:28] She's not new to entertainment at all.

[00:42:30] I'm in tears.

[00:42:31] So, you know, they embrace it.

[00:42:33] Harvey ain't nothing to play with.

[00:42:34] Okay, Alphys, let us know in the comments below.

[00:42:36] Do you know what your favorite look is?

[00:42:38] If it's Harvey, let us know for sure.

[00:42:40] But yes, we have Taeyeon's video for Letter to Myself.

[00:42:44] Ah, y'all.

[00:42:46] This video was interesting too.

[00:42:48] Now, speaking of lore, there's not lore.

[00:42:50] There's definitely a story here.

[00:42:52] And it's interesting because if you like, it was well done in the sense where it's like, it's simple.

[00:43:00] I love like the film grain that was on it.

[00:43:02] So everything about it just looked very, I don't want to say gritty.

[00:43:06] But the word, the objective word here now is just gritty.

[00:43:08] Just say gritty, gritty, gritty, gritty.

[00:43:09] But I liked it.

[00:43:10] The bus ride and seeing all the people that she has to meet, the interaction that she's having.

[00:43:14] They all mean something to her.

[00:43:16] And maybe they are parts of her that she should remember.

[00:43:19] Maybe she should forget, appreciate.

[00:43:20] I don't know.

[00:43:21] But they mean something to who she was and is and where she's going.

[00:43:25] I think as the video progresses and she's getting bullied, I wish she would have gotten a little bit more.

[00:43:31] Let me explain that.

[00:43:32] But she was getting bullied.

[00:43:33] I'm like, okay, so is the nerdy her?

[00:43:35] Now suddenly, how did she get on the bus?

[00:43:37] Is she just having an existential crisis while she's on this bus?

[00:43:41] Which some of us do, do I know during my commute, I'd be sitting there like, dang, I should be doing something else in my life.

[00:43:46] You know, it happens.

[00:43:47] But there is no lead up for that.

[00:43:49] She's just kind of standing there being like, hello to myself.

[00:43:51] And they're throwing paper at her.

[00:43:53] So I'm just like, okay.

[00:43:54] And then her friends disappear or people that look like they should be her friends disappear.

[00:43:57] I like the teddy bear, like the baby little teddy bear growing into a big grizzly bear and ended up protecting her.

[00:44:03] So it's almost like her taking her childhood somewhere.

[00:44:05] I don't know.

[00:44:05] I'm trying to freaking fathom constellations out of the stars that we were given.

[00:44:09] But I think it's interesting that that little teddy bear grew up to be like aggressive toward the people that she, I guess, was hanging out with.

[00:44:19] Her friends?

[00:44:20] I don't know.

[00:44:20] I don't know.

[00:44:21] I just feel like the roles in the video weren't exactly well defined.

[00:44:26] And everyone, it was like the ensemble playing the main cast playing the ensemble playing the main cast playing the ensemble.

[00:44:32] And that's what it was giving.

[00:44:33] So I was just like, you guys would have had this very definitive with colors.

[00:44:37] The people who are her friends wearing blue or wearing something that was like definitively on her side.

[00:44:43] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:44] Because the bear was attacking the people that were supposedly her friends, the people she was hanging out with.

[00:44:48] And those people went to her home, her happy place, her T-Y, her apartment.

[00:44:52] But then they're also getting attacked.

[00:44:54] You know what I'm saying?

[00:44:54] So it's just a little bit like, eh, eh, eh, eh, disconnect.

[00:44:58] But for the most part, I liked the ending being her returning to herself.

[00:45:03] The T-Y, the apartment.

[00:45:04] So she went back home to herself and took all that she learned and grew up with and who she was in that picture.

[00:45:10] So again, if it sounds discombobulated, my explanation, maybe the video was as well.

[00:45:15] But that's what I got from it.

[00:45:16] I do appreciate the attempt, but I feel like the execution was just not my favorite.

[00:45:19] It definitely was giving musical, you know, where you just have that cast and then they just play, you know, the various time periods.

[00:45:27] And she's reflecting on her life.

[00:45:28] So it kind of works, right?

[00:45:30] Because it's like her friends are playing into what she's talking about, I guess.

[00:45:34] I wasn't too mad at that.

[00:45:36] Also, I love that this was filmed in London.

[00:45:38] I think that was perfect for this.

[00:45:40] This is just the mood of it all.

[00:45:41] I thought that was a good choice.

[00:45:43] And the way it was filmed, it does remind me of like the Avril videos and the Michelle Branch videos.

[00:45:48] And, you know, that era.

[00:45:50] So I appreciate that.

[00:45:52] I think the most fun part was maybe that transition right after the first verse into the chorus where, you know, she's doing that whole schoolgirl bullying thing.

[00:46:00] But then it's like a cool band performance in the bus.

[00:46:04] Yeah.

[00:46:05] That was definitely like the coolest moment.

[00:46:06] I was hoping for more kind of sudden juxtaposition kind of stuff like that.

[00:46:11] But there really wasn't.

[00:46:14] And I thought the bear was a bit unnecessary.

[00:46:18] I don't know.

[00:46:18] I didn't really fully get the bear at all.

[00:46:22] I didn't really match the feel.

[00:46:23] I don't know.

[00:46:24] I appreciate the, you know, the overall concept of kind of just, you know, overcoming, you know, the drama in your life and just becoming a more confident person, a happier person.

[00:46:34] It was OK.

[00:46:35] I interpret it totally different because I always think of her as the quintessential South Korean woman.

[00:46:41] And that's what she's supposed to convey.

[00:46:44] And the bear in Korean culture is about a woman quite often about their endurance and their perseverance and whatnot.

[00:46:52] And I feel like her in the video surrounded about a whole bunch of foreigners.

[00:46:58] Her role has always been one of I am the representation of my nation.

[00:47:04] I am the nation's girl group leader.

[00:47:06] And I'm going to get experiences from every facet of the cultures that embrace what I bring to the table.

[00:47:13] But my comfort, my home is my nationalism, my Koreanism, that I'm OK, that I'm enough.

[00:47:20] I don't have to further diversify my delivery or my artistry for mass consumption.

[00:47:27] You either like it or you don't.

[00:47:29] So I was watching the video like at this point, the whole schoolgirl thing and whatnot, you're well past that.

[00:47:35] But that's your safe space.

[00:47:36] That's where you've been honed and curated for so long that I don't think as an entertainer she can step past that.

[00:47:44] So the video just further personifies that.

[00:47:47] And the project as a whole, like you have a song in there called Hot Mess and everything.

[00:47:50] You're supposed to be talking about other aspects and facets of yourself.

[00:47:54] But your lead single is the things are the things that we're already used to seeing and knowing as the stereotypes or the comfort spaces of what a woman is expected to be in an environment right now where women in South Korea don't even want to get married, let alone date just to not have to fool with anything.

[00:48:12] So I found it kind of interesting that the lyrics are talking about affirming who you are and what you are and whatnot and how her bear went from being small and non-menacing, something that she could hold on to, to it being large enough to push, you know, any invasion or interaction from others involved.

[00:48:34] So I had a totally different expression of how it was.

[00:48:38] I was like, oh, wow, you put a bear in it and the bear gets tough, like real big.

[00:48:42] But it still gave her a sense of protection.

[00:48:45] That's a lot of cultural call outs in that.

[00:48:50] And I mean, she is at SM and things are aggressively changing over there in terms of industry as a whole over there.

[00:48:58] A lot more independence for the artists and a lot more that can be expressed or explored.

[00:49:04] That ain't the camp she came from.

[00:49:06] So you're on a bus in a place and you're traveling somewhere that you're not necessarily prepared to go.

[00:49:12] And it's schooling you.

[00:49:13] But you got comfort in where you've always been and what you always are.

[00:49:17] So that's that's how I saw it.

[00:49:19] Welcome to the show.

[00:49:24] See, come on.

[00:49:26] I'm peaking.

[00:49:26] I'm peaking.

[00:49:27] But yeah, bleep me.

[00:49:28] Bleep me.

[00:49:29] Bleep me.

[00:49:29] But yeah.

[00:49:32] See, this is my chain, my decision.

[00:49:35] I don't know.

[00:49:37] So did you like the video?

[00:49:38] Like you think it was it was done well then?

[00:49:40] I really do.

[00:49:41] I mean, I like the way it was filmed and everything, even though I've been a grainy YouTuber for over a decade and refuse to get sharp.

[00:49:49] I do love.

[00:49:50] I refuse.

[00:49:52] You gonna like my shit or not.

[00:49:53] But I like how it looks.

[00:49:58] I just she's consistent.

[00:50:00] It's no getting around it.

[00:50:02] And I think after ODing on all the GD stuff for the past couple of days and whatnot, watching Power so much, I can't take any more flashing and strobing.

[00:50:13] So this was a comfort view for me.

[00:50:16] And I've watched both videos with no audio because you want to be informed.

[00:50:21] You might like the song and it's going to influence your interpretation.

[00:50:24] But just watching it and the pacing of it and the angles that they chose to film her and whatnot.

[00:50:30] They're not new.

[00:50:31] We've seen it all before from her.

[00:50:33] But it was comforting.

[00:50:35] I liked it.

[00:50:36] I really did.

[00:50:37] Oh, wow.

[00:50:38] Nice.

[00:50:39] Okay.

[00:50:40] Well, does it win the round for you then?

[00:50:44] You know what?

[00:50:45] I don't know.

[00:50:48] Both videos are so different and they deliver in such different ways.

[00:50:54] There's familiarity and comfort as a person who calls Korea her second home of seeing what I pulled from Tay Tay's video.

[00:51:03] But every single XG video is absolutely different and crazy.

[00:51:08] You want to watch it.

[00:51:09] You want to see the crazy contacts and the makeup and everything.

[00:51:13] I don't know.

[00:51:15] This is a draw for me.

[00:51:17] Yeah.

[00:51:18] Oh, I just think for me, if I didn't have all of that, like you mentioned, I love that bear thing.

[00:51:25] I did not know that.

[00:51:25] If I didn't know that, just watching all of them, I think just off the bat, it was going to be howling for me.

[00:51:31] Not even all the effects.

[00:51:33] I think I was like walking around.

[00:51:34] But when I turned back around, I saw that slow black and white of them just howling and doing the one little slow motion.

[00:51:40] And I was like, oh, god damn, this video is so good.

[00:51:43] I wish I had a budget.

[00:51:44] Like that's when I was like, okay.

[00:51:45] So for me, it's going to be XG.

[00:51:48] Yeah, I'll have to give it to XG as well.

[00:51:51] Like I still haven't gotten bored of it.

[00:51:53] I still wouldn't be happy to watch it again multiple times.

[00:51:57] So yeah, can't deny that one.

[00:51:59] Round three.

[00:52:03] Final room already.

[00:52:05] And this is the performance and choreography round.

[00:52:09] So very much like G-Dragon, we don't have much to work with with Taeyeon except maybe one live.

[00:52:17] Live quotes.

[00:52:18] Yes.

[00:52:19] Performance.

[00:52:20] I mean, it sounded like they were raw vocals for sure, but they're definitely processed.

[00:52:23] What can we do?

[00:52:23] We'll take what we can get.

[00:52:25] But yeah, so yeah.

[00:52:28] I mean, and we also have a giant performance with G-D.

[00:52:31] And with XG, we have a frame of reference of like what?

[00:52:34] Two to four?

[00:52:35] Two to four performances we can look at and performance music video.

[00:52:38] So yeah.

[00:52:40] With the choreography for Howling, I feel like obviously these girls can dance.

[00:52:44] They're trained so well.

[00:52:46] But I think what really stands out is the fact that the formations were a little bit more picturesque.

[00:52:54] Again, the song is very atmospheric.

[00:52:56] So there's a lot more of a story being told.

[00:52:59] They're getting on their knees.

[00:53:01] They're on the ground.

[00:53:02] Like what girl group you know is on the ground for what?

[00:53:04] Two A counts.

[00:53:04] You know what I'm saying?

[00:53:05] So things like that stood out to me.

[00:53:07] I do enjoy the footwork.

[00:53:09] I feel like it's freaking their footwork when they're going into the air.

[00:53:13] There's footwork when they're on the ground.

[00:53:14] There's footwork when they're standing up like literally vertical.

[00:53:18] I feel like it's smooth where it needs to be.

[00:53:20] The musicality is definitely there.

[00:53:22] The girls all look good doing it too.

[00:53:24] Chris and I always complain about maybe like someone like they're slacking and they're lacking and blah, blah, blah.

[00:53:30] Like obviously in this group you have some people who stand out visually like Coconut with her bald coconut head.

[00:53:35] You have Juden who is obviously like the center in terms of like when they do any kind of like big moment of the song.

[00:53:42] They all stand out, but they don't get consumed by each other.

[00:53:46] Like the chemistry in this group is so good.

[00:53:48] And like they perform so effortlessly in terms of how they deliver some of these choreography that involves popping and locking and stuff.

[00:53:57] And even watching some of their performances on their tour.

[00:54:00] They are so consistently giving you facials that aren't too much, but they know about what they're singing about, even if they're not fluent in English.

[00:54:07] And it's like, it always impresses me how connected they are to what they're performing, what they're selling us essentially.

[00:54:19] They're very much perform.

[00:54:20] They understand the singing line when they're singing, they're smiling at certain points.

[00:54:26] Even if they're threatening you with what they're saying, because the song is very threatening.

[00:54:30] They're smiling.

[00:54:31] It's confident.

[00:54:32] It's not like syrupy sweet smile.

[00:54:34] It's like confident.

[00:54:35] Like I'm going to get you.

[00:54:37] You know, and I love that.

[00:54:39] So I really do enjoy this choreography from them.

[00:54:42] Like it wasn't too much.

[00:54:45] And who choreographed it?

[00:54:46] Do you know who choreographed it, Chris?

[00:54:47] Yeah, this was Sienna Lalao.

[00:54:49] Yeah.

[00:54:50] She's done a lot of XG stuff.

[00:54:51] I think she blew up when she did BTS on.

[00:54:54] Oh, yes.

[00:54:55] Okay.

[00:54:55] And then she's done some like Blackpink stuff since then.

[00:54:57] Yeah.

[00:54:57] Okay.

[00:54:58] Yeah.

[00:54:58] No.

[00:54:59] Love it.

[00:54:59] Love it.

[00:54:59] And I love that ending where they like all like gather and come to the end and like kind of drop their pose at the end.

[00:55:05] Like everything was just perfectly like done well.

[00:55:08] Like visually.

[00:55:09] It felt like a competition dance, but like for K-pop artists and that too.

[00:55:13] You know what I'm saying?

[00:55:13] Like, you know how competition dance always have like a little like scene to it?

[00:55:17] Yeah.

[00:55:18] Yeah.

[00:55:18] That's what it is.

[00:55:18] Totally.

[00:55:19] Yeah.

[00:55:19] Like this whole thing was like any dance group could do it right now.

[00:55:23] And people would be like, oh my God, give them first place or like give them second place or third place or some bull crap like that.

[00:55:27] So yeah, I feel like it's good.

[00:55:29] And they sound good from when they were singing live.

[00:55:31] So I'll give them that as well.

[00:55:33] Yeah.

[00:55:33] And the choreography actually allows them to sing live.

[00:55:36] Yeah.

[00:55:36] Which is good.

[00:55:37] You know, every person can kind of come forward.

[00:55:39] They have time to breathe.

[00:55:40] A lot of it is nothing is actually that difficult here.

[00:55:45] Yes.

[00:55:45] Some of the footwork is definitely a little trickier and there's some quick grooves and stuff in there.

[00:55:50] But in terms of the actual like, like there's not so much that takes so much crazy movement where they can't also sing or rap live, which is great.

[00:56:01] My favorite part watching it is just all the different ways they their positions are in for the head roll.

[00:56:07] You know, like every single head roll, their body is just a completely different kind of space.

[00:56:13] So I think that's really, really cool.

[00:56:15] And each chorus is completely different as well.

[00:56:18] There's no really clear point dance here, I don't think.

[00:56:21] But each chorus stands on its own and they're all kind of entertaining in their own way.

[00:56:26] And yeah, I think you mentioned this earlier about the video, but I like that they don't feel the need to be too pretty.

[00:56:34] Because you do definitely get that with most K-pop girl groups.

[00:56:38] And yeah, I like that they can kind of contort their bodies a bit more and kind of lean into the werewolf thing and not be scared to kind of give an uglier, quote unquote, uglier kind of face or look kind of the whole time.

[00:56:53] So yeah, they're really fun to watch.

[00:56:56] And yeah, I enjoyed it.

[00:56:59] Full agreement with them being fun to watch.

[00:57:02] Every single performance they're giving full out every single time.

[00:57:09] And just the fact there's continuity in that, even if the choreography is a little bit different at one point in the song or another, they're just solid.

[00:57:19] I really enjoy watching them perform, be it a choreography only version of the video, even though it's a little dark or watching, you know, the actual original video.

[00:57:31] They're just they're entertaining as hell.

[00:57:33] They really are.

[00:57:34] And that was the thing I wanted to point out about how the chorus choreography is different.

[00:57:38] I was expecting something to be a full repeat.

[00:57:41] And I'm like, oh, yeah.

[00:57:42] Switched it up again.

[00:57:43] Yeah.

[00:57:43] So, you know, I really enjoyed that.

[00:57:47] And being a person who at one point in time, dance was life, like literally to see a group that moves at the same capacity as a competitive dance team, a dance sport team.

[00:58:03] That's a big stretch from highly orchestrated choreography that we know we have to execute the same way every single time or we're going to jeopardize the shapes or the colors of what you're hearing in the song.

[00:58:18] This articulates something gross and dangerous and edgy.

[00:58:25] And these women got it for me.

[00:58:28] They really do.

[00:58:29] This is a great video in that capacity for me.

[00:58:31] Badewanne, Podcast und Herbst?

[00:58:34] Das wird nur getoppt von Alturs, Reisen und Günstig.

[00:58:37] Denn auch wenn dein Schaumbad zum Träumen von sonnigen Breitengraden einlädt, echte Südsonne bleibt unschlagbar.

[00:58:43] Und Alturs hat einfach die besten Ziele für dich.

[00:58:46] Ägypten, Kanaren, Griechenland, Türkei, Karibik.

[00:58:50] Nicht träumen, Alturs buchen.

[00:58:52] Alles drin, alles gut, alles für dich.

[00:58:55] Alturs, alles aber günstig.

[00:58:57] Jetzt im Reisebüro oder auf alturs.de

[00:59:01] Yes.

[00:59:02] Okay, moving on to Taeyeon with Letter to Myself.

[00:59:06] So yeah, as you mentioned, no music show performances here.

[00:59:09] We have a quote-unquote live clip that they put up on her YouTube channel of her singing it.

[00:59:17] Which is just completely unnecessary because, you know, no switch-ups, you know, no new ad-libs, no extra little fun moments.

[00:59:27] No band.

[00:59:29] You know, it was just kind of like, what's the point?

[00:59:31] Yeah.

[00:59:32] So I really don't have much to say on it because it's just so processed to hell that there's nothing to even really discuss here.

[00:59:39] I did mention the behind-the-scenes, you know, studio session video where she does sound really good.

[00:59:44] And she definitely does put more emotion in it than what ends up in these kind of final processed versions.

[00:59:52] So I don't know.

[00:59:54] Not much to say here.

[00:59:55] Ashley, anything to add?

[00:59:58] Pretty colors.

[01:00:00] Oh, pretty London colors.

[01:00:03] Yeah, cute bus stop.

[01:00:05] Cute bus stop.

[01:00:06] Great, great girl.

[01:00:07] I hate that there was, I mean, I don't expect big dance numbers from her consistently or anything of the sort.

[01:00:13] She performs because she has to, but it would be nice to see this interpreted, even if it's not her.

[01:00:23] Like along the lines of, oh, just forgot the artist's name.

[01:00:28] I can't believe I forgot her name.

[01:00:31] Hillen?

[01:00:32] Oh, Hillen, yes.

[01:00:33] When she did the video with the young girl who's dancing and performing on behalf of what the song is expressing,

[01:00:41] I think that would have been something interesting to see.

[01:00:44] So, you know.

[01:00:45] Oh, yeah.

[01:00:46] I wrote what song is, but I know what you mean.

[01:00:47] I can't believe I said Hillen's name wrong.

[01:00:49] What am I doing?

[01:00:50] She is always in my thoughts.

[01:00:52] It's okay.

[01:00:52] It's okay.

[01:00:53] But I know what video you're talking about.

[01:00:54] She had one of the young ladies from California, like one of those like, you know, red studio dancers coming.

[01:01:01] Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

[01:01:02] Yeah.

[01:01:03] Oh, maybe that would have helped.

[01:01:05] Yeah.

[01:01:05] I mean, unfortunately, it seems like in terms of SNSD, SM is done.

[01:01:12] I don't know what that's about.

[01:01:15] I mean, we all know it's about.

[01:01:16] Aespa is the new hot thing and whatever girl group they got in the works and all this other crap like that.

[01:01:20] Anything that Lee Soo-man used to touch ain't getting touched no more.

[01:01:24] Let's be right here.

[01:01:24] And for whatever reason, Taeyeon is staying there and the Girls' Generation girls are just getting shafted.

[01:01:29] Hyunyeon came out with something, I think.

[01:01:31] And that's what the whole thing is about with SNSD.

[01:01:35] I think they came out with something.

[01:01:37] I think she did something.

[01:01:38] And that's what this feels like.

[01:01:39] Like we got other performances, performances, tracks of like, was it Blur and some other songs?

[01:01:47] Yes.

[01:01:47] So, okay, that's nice.

[01:01:48] Why not give her a full showcase?

[01:01:50] Why not do that?

[01:01:51] Why not give her an It's Alive performance?

[01:01:53] Make it exclusive.

[01:01:54] Why is she not on the Dingo show where she sings all of her hits?

[01:01:59] What is happening?

[01:02:00] So just kind of tying in all of her non-performances, performances.

[01:02:05] Damn, she hasn't done Dingo, has she?

[01:02:06] I'm so sorry.

[01:02:07] And she could.

[01:02:08] And she could.

[01:02:09] She don't need all nine of them.

[01:02:11] She don't need all nine.

[01:02:12] She could.

[01:02:12] She can.

[01:02:13] Nia Fantasita by herself if she wanted.

[01:02:18] I know I just made the mic go real.

[01:02:21] She considers it full of playmates.

[01:02:24] They didn't even give her It's Alive.

[01:02:26] She hasn't even gone to Youngji's show.

[01:02:30] Youngji would love to be with her.

[01:02:31] You know what I'm saying?

[01:02:32] I want to go on Youngji's show.

[01:02:33] I just want to.

[01:02:35] She's great.

[01:02:35] Yeah, Chris wants to go see her.

[01:02:37] She's amazing, apparently.

[01:02:38] Yes.

[01:02:38] You know what I'm saying?

[01:02:39] So it's one of those things where she got shafted.

[01:02:41] And because she got shafted, we get shafted.

[01:02:43] And it is going to affect her scores here.

[01:02:46] There's no actual score score.

[01:02:48] But the arbitrary inside score we have.

[01:02:50] Yeah, unfortunately, you're going to have to just move right on to GD.

[01:02:54] Yeah, Chris.

[01:02:55] Oh, man.

[01:02:56] Yeah.

[01:02:57] First off, that whole Mama performance was great.

[01:03:01] And it was so much fun seeing all the current K-pop artists just fanboy, fangirl out.

[01:03:09] Yeah.

[01:03:10] Yeah, that was really, really cool to see.

[01:03:13] So yeah, you know, the stage is so massive.

[01:03:17] I kind of wish, I don't love in the round stages for K-pop.

[01:03:22] I feel like they never navigate it very well.

[01:03:25] You know?

[01:03:27] I feel like with the end stage, when you have the screens and stuff, I don't know.

[01:03:30] That's just an overall complaint in general.

[01:03:34] I think GD did a great job.

[01:03:35] I think with this performance, the way they had both Taehyung and Daesung enter was super fun.

[01:03:42] I think Daesung's entrance having to be kind of in that corner.

[01:03:45] And them having to walk all the way over there.

[01:03:48] Then the camera didn't switch fast enough to really show his entrance.

[01:03:52] And then they had to walk all the way back.

[01:03:55] So there was just a lot to do there.

[01:03:57] But again, the nostalgia does creep in here where just the three of them together, there is a power to that.

[01:04:03] And so just seeing the three of them in the center with all these dancers kind of doing this kind of very basic choreo.

[01:04:16] But just having so much fun with it.

[01:04:19] And their chemistry together is just so joyful now.

[01:04:22] They really don't have anything to prove up there.

[01:04:25] They can kind of just have fun together.

[01:04:26] You know they're doing it because they love it.

[01:04:29] So yeah, I enjoyed it for what it was.

[01:04:32] I do think when you have such a massive stage that you're forced to use, I think...

[01:04:38] I don't know.

[01:04:39] I didn't fully love them having to walk to that corner and then having to come back and then all of that.

[01:04:43] But again, I think the three of them are great performers and they did make it a pretty epic moment.

[01:04:51] Ashley, what are your thoughts?

[01:04:53] I see you over there kind of...

[01:04:55] Yeah, because I fully agree with those in the rounds being a little bit of a difficulty.

[01:05:03] I wasn't peeping this for choreography purposes whatsoever.

[01:05:08] I was looking at actual training to be able to move that damn far in that much space and you still have vocal stability.

[01:05:18] Yeah.

[01:05:18] I mean, of course they were yelling and getting hype at certain points, but being on stage, you're already pumped on adrenaline.

[01:05:26] You're already hoping that, okay, well, I know I can't necessarily see everybody out there because of lights and then you might see some people.

[01:05:32] You got a lot going on up here.

[01:05:34] To still be able to deliver, you whip together some choreography real fast with whoever was available and may will happen.

[01:05:43] And y'all have the benefit of just being able to hop around and maybe do parts of it.

[01:05:48] That was just...

[01:05:49] That was a lot to me.

[01:05:51] Like, bro, you 36.

[01:05:53] Stop.

[01:05:54] That's asking a lot of a person who hasn't performed in seven years.

[01:05:58] Mm-hmm.

[01:06:00] You know, Taeyang and Daesung, they've been out there.

[01:06:04] They've been touring or they've been working on projects and whatnot.

[01:06:08] GD been rich.

[01:06:09] He been rich auntie traveling around.

[01:06:12] He's been rich.

[01:06:13] He's been at home putting wing on, which is great.

[01:06:17] He's been using scarves while he continues to lose weight until his face is contoured again.

[01:06:23] Yes.

[01:06:23] So you've got all of this going on from a man who's literally just been sitting down like Scrooge McDuck without the negative energy, rolling around in his riches.

[01:06:35] He's been enjoying great food, great travel, fashion, and resting and being an uncle, you know?

[01:06:43] And then he got up there and rocked that s*** with probably minimal rehearsal.

[01:06:49] Yeah.

[01:06:49] That's king s*** to me.

[01:06:51] So I was very impressed with that.

[01:06:52] I could not tell you what the choreography looked like, despite the fact that I watched the video several times a day.

[01:06:59] I still, the whole focus was, man, he is really moving around in a full pink suit and he ain't like bursted into flames yet.

[01:07:06] Or, wow, he's, you know, doing this, this, and this.

[01:07:09] Wow, they're meeting him and they doing a little clap, clap, clap.

[01:07:12] It was just, that's performance quality.

[01:07:15] That's lung strength.

[01:07:18] That's Beyonce running on a treadmill singing.

[01:07:20] Again, that's, you know, it's, it's a lot of dexterity and performance quality there that has to be honed over time that I was just impressed to see.

[01:07:30] I really was.

[01:07:31] Word up.

[01:07:31] I feel like it was like a nostalgia attack.

[01:07:35] But I think in this case, even if you didn't know who he was, there's an intensity in his eyes that you don't typically get from your, oh, I got plucked from the mall karaoke rapper idol.

[01:07:48] You know?

[01:07:49] You know?

[01:07:50] The Barbizon rapper.

[01:07:51] But I love him.

[01:07:52] But I love him.

[01:07:54] Listen.

[01:07:54] Who are you talking about?

[01:07:55] I love him.

[01:07:55] I love, I love them too.

[01:07:57] I love a good Barbizon rapper.

[01:07:59] Come on.

[01:07:59] I love a Barbizon rapper.

[01:08:00] I love Barbizon rapper.

[01:08:02] I never thought about modeling.

[01:08:04] I love those guys.

[01:08:05] They're so fine.

[01:08:06] But there's a difference.

[01:08:09] But there is a certain look in his eyes of that kid who was rapping with one time, of that guy who was rapping with the guy, with the battle rapper and a bunch of dudes who one dude freaking is not supposed to be in the group with the corn robe.

[01:08:25] We're going to make this work.

[01:08:26] There's something about the way he's looking with his pink hair and all his wonka-ness, his Wonka-willy fantasticness that looked so strong and so like, mm, mm, mm, mm.

[01:08:38] He has a very high squeaky voice, but nothing about him was giving higher squeaky.

[01:08:42] I was like, go off.

[01:08:43] You're right.

[01:08:43] I think because he is a little bit older, he wasn't dancing a lot.

[01:08:49] I did see him forget some of the steps.

[01:08:51] I said, brother, man, you can't have the features they sung at Taeyang remembering this test and eating you up, but go off.

[01:08:58] It's okay.

[01:08:59] But aside from that, the charisma is there.

[01:09:02] Yeah?

[01:09:03] And he was, they were, just talking about him, he was the standard and is the standard of what these kids are doing now.

[01:09:11] Where you have to be like, yeah, oh, yeah, in your face.

[01:09:14] And he gives it.

[01:09:15] They embody the meaning of the song.

[01:09:18] They're home.

[01:09:19] They're home and they own that stage like they owned it.

[01:09:22] You know, the whole dancing was about grooves and atmosphere.

[01:09:25] And I think this as a whole combined it.

[01:09:28] What the dancers were doing, great job.

[01:09:31] Great job.

[01:09:32] Because I didn't realize how big the stage was because how many dancers they had.

[01:09:36] But when Chris was like, oh, yeah, they're traveling.

[01:09:38] And I'm like, oh, yeah, you're so right.

[01:09:39] Because I was like, okay, they brought Taeyang out.

[01:09:41] I know Dae Sung's on.

[01:09:42] Where is he?

[01:09:43] And then suddenly, Dae Sung's like, hi.

[01:09:45] And I was like, okay.

[01:09:47] He said, out of the box.

[01:09:49] I was like, okay, whatever.

[01:09:50] So I was like, eh, little hiccups like that.

[01:09:53] But again, the stage is so massive.

[01:09:55] It doesn't.

[01:09:56] It's not fair.

[01:09:57] But for what they did, I think it was great.

[01:09:59] They handled it.

[01:10:00] And yeah, they came home.

[01:10:02] Shoot.

[01:10:03] This is our house.

[01:10:04] They owned it.

[01:10:04] So yeah.

[01:10:06] Yeah.

[01:10:07] It is hard because obviously the budget for such a huge award show and stuff, obviously,

[01:10:14] it's hard to compare that to, you know, Taeyeon's Yubust Stop.

[01:10:18] But G-Dragon obviously wins this round.

[01:10:21] It's so hard.

[01:10:22] Because yeah, like you both were saying, the star quality, the charisma alone, it's just

[01:10:28] so powerful from him.

[01:10:29] Mm-hmm.

[01:10:30] Mm-hmm.

[01:10:32] Ash, what do you think?

[01:10:33] Who takes it?

[01:10:33] I'm not running nowhere.

[01:10:36] So yeah, this wins for me.

[01:10:37] I can't imagine having to sing anything and get from the 50-yard line of one side of this

[01:10:44] Japanese stadium.

[01:10:45] So there's no way.

[01:10:47] There's no way.

[01:10:48] It would have been, home sweet.

[01:10:52] So no, I can't.

[01:10:55] This wins just on stamina alone for me.

[01:10:59] You're so ridiculous.

[01:11:01] Yeah, I'll give it to home sweet home as well.

[01:11:03] I love me some X-G and what they did.

[01:11:05] They're very consistent.

[01:11:06] But they are still very much choreographed.

[01:11:09] Very much still too perfect.

[01:11:12] They're almost there, though.

[01:11:12] They're getting there.

[01:11:14] Yeah, a lot closer than some other girl groups, I would say.

[01:11:17] Heck yeah.

[01:11:17] Heck yeah.

[01:11:17] Yeah.

[01:11:19] All right.

[01:11:19] So that ends round three.

[01:11:21] So it's time to pick an overall winner and just give overall thoughts on each song.

[01:11:28] So Ashley, kick us off.

[01:11:29] Biased as hell.

[01:11:30] GD wins this for me overall.

[01:11:32] No.

[01:11:35] He wins this for me because not only was it a matter of stepping back on a stage that you

[01:11:42] desperately told everyone you would not ever again.

[01:11:45] And they begged for you.

[01:11:46] Not the audience.

[01:11:48] Mama begged for you to come back.

[01:11:51] But to have the stamina still, to still have the fortitude to deliver, to not even do that

[01:11:57] much and have an entire audience globally captivated.

[01:12:02] You could see some of the idols, some of the younger generations ascending just because that man was on stage, just because images of him appeared and what he means to the scene, what he means to the influences of them even being the artists that they are.

[01:12:20] I don't have high expectations of seeing a video for the song whatsoever, but it delivered in all of the ways that it should.

[01:12:29] So it's a big win for me.

[01:12:32] Okay.

[01:12:33] Yeah, I completely agree.

[01:12:35] I have to give it to GD.

[01:12:38] Yeah, all the same notes, really.

[01:12:40] I think even it doesn't need a music video.

[01:12:42] Like this performance was so epic.

[01:12:44] Like that can be the video, you know?

[01:12:46] And yeah, it's just great to have him back.

[01:12:49] I'm super excited just to hear what he comes up with next.

[01:12:55] I think it's nice sometimes when artists kind of disappear for a bit because it just builds up the anticipation a bit more.

[01:13:03] And so, yeah, very excited there.

[01:13:05] I hope Teddy, etc. are not on any of the other songs.

[01:13:10] But, you know, we'll see.

[01:13:12] And yeah, I don't know.

[01:13:13] I'm curious what will happen with Taeyeon because I have seen some stuff of, you know, she doesn't seem very happy at SM at all.

[01:13:21] And XG, I think they're definitely carving a lane out for themselves.

[01:13:26] I think the longevity, I'm still curious about the longevity of everything and how they're going to continue this rise that they have in such a saturated market.

[01:13:37] But I'm here for it.

[01:13:38] I do like all three artists, but yeah, GD definitely takes it.

[01:13:42] Yes.

[01:13:42] Oh, for me, I'm going to give it to XG.

[01:13:45] I do enjoy GD.

[01:13:46] I know he's coming back after a long time, but because you've had such a long time to get yourself together.

[01:13:54] I'm expecting a lot more.

[01:13:56] Like, yeah, you can go back to the sound you had before, but don't take it easy.

[01:14:00] You are at this point in your life where you can take risks and there's nothing risky about this song.

[01:14:03] Um, power was going back to like a crayon style.

[01:14:06] Love that, but that's not on the list.

[01:14:07] I probably would have taken it maybe for me, but yeah.

[01:14:10] Right now, I think he is taking it a little, a little slow, taking it safe.

[01:14:13] And yes, his tenure is obviously what it is, but it's not going to be the thing that takes it for me.

[01:14:19] Um, right now, only because XG, who is very consistent with their sound.

[01:14:26] You know, if they don't write their own stuff, their sound is consistent.

[01:14:29] You know, who's rapping, you know, who's singing.

[01:14:31] Um, they embody what they are performing.

[01:14:34] Uh, and I think with the video, as crazy as it was, the simplicity of their costuming and everything that when they do the live performances, it's not overwhelming.

[01:14:42] So you can focus on the visual.

[01:14:44] You can focus on the dancing.

[01:14:45] I think overall, the package is just a little bit stronger.

[01:14:47] Love Taeyeon.

[01:14:49] Again, I'm not going to let go of that Genie outro.

[01:14:51] It's stuck in my head right now.

[01:14:53] But, um, and I also do love me some GD.

[01:14:56] I love me some Taeyeon, but Taeyeon was not enough to bring it home.

[01:14:59] The sun wasn't enough to bring it home.

[01:15:01] But yeah, for me, XG is, is, um, their trajectory is really good.

[01:15:05] I am curious to see what's going to happen to them as time goes by.

[01:15:08] But for now, they're so consistent and so good, um, to reinvent the wheel.

[01:15:13] Because we've already heard them rap so many times.

[01:15:14] But to redo it like this is only up from here.

[01:15:18] But GD, I don't know.

[01:15:19] Because if it's not good, then it's not going to be good.

[01:15:22] You know?

[01:15:23] So, we'll see.

[01:15:24] We'll see.

[01:15:25] Whatever.

[01:15:27] But yes, that's my GD.

[01:15:30] All right.

[01:15:31] So, that wraps up our November 2024 pop-off.

[01:15:35] Thank you so much, Ashley, for joining us.

[01:15:37] We had so much fun.

[01:15:39] Would you like to plug yourself to our listeners?

[01:15:41] Where can people find you?

[01:15:42] Oh, of course.

[01:15:43] I always shamelessly plug myself.

[01:15:46] Yeah.

[01:15:49] He can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and, uh, anywhere that you listen to your podcasts.

[01:15:57] When you look for an album a day.

[01:16:01] Or you can type A, the number three, the word day and podcast.

[01:16:05] And you'll be able to find that.

[01:16:06] As well as A Three Day Sister Show.

[01:16:07] Where it's completely unscripted and quite ridiculous.

[01:16:11] And, um, I'm more often on Instagram and Discord these days.

[01:16:16] But you'll see me from time to time on YouTube.

[01:16:19] Uh, come on, YouTube.

[01:16:22] Yeah.

[01:16:22] I can't ever leave.

[01:16:24] I took a good hiatus from YouTube.

[01:16:26] And then I come back occasionally and post things.

[01:16:28] Um, but the biggest thing right now is just letting everyone know that next October, the end of October, I will be taking a group of my listeners and longtime supporters to South Korea with me.

[01:16:42] It's an opportunity for them to be able to have the trip of a lifetime.

[01:16:45] So I'm very excited.

[01:16:46] It's a seven day experience where we'll be in Seoul and Busan.

[01:16:49] It doesn't cover your flight, but you do get to cover all of the amazing things that you see when you watch your dramas or you watch anything on YouTube with your favorite idols being at certain places.

[01:17:00] So if you want to learn more about that, please go to TrovaTrip.com slash trip slash A Three Day Podcast.

[01:17:10] Or you can just go to any of my social media and you'll find a link there.

[01:17:14] That's why y'all heard it here first.

[01:17:16] If you want to go to Korea and witness this loveliness, definitely hit Ashley up.

[01:17:21] Um, and yeah, guys, don't forget.

[01:17:22] We CCTV are also on YouTube podcast platforms, Instagram, like all the platforms.

[01:17:29] Okay.

[01:17:29] That you can think of and make sure to comment and DM us on those platforms at CCTV pops to let us know what wins the pop off for you.

[01:17:37] Don't forget those hit those follow and subscribe buttons because we have some really fun episodes and even more awesome guests coming on to our show.

[01:17:45] Until next time, that's Chris.

[01:17:48] That's Chantel and Ashley.

[01:17:49] And we're signing off from CCTV, the nonstop pop show.