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omonatheydid
If you're a 2nd-generation K-pop fan, you surely remember the era when Brave Brothers was one of the most prominent hitmakers for girl groups. The Brave Sound formula took countless groups to the top of the charts. And now, his self-produced girl group Brave Girls have finally found their place in the spotlight, years after almost everyone had written them off.
The rise of "Rollin'" has made me nostalgic for those bygone years of formulaic, impossibly catchy Brave hits, and I can't be the only one. So here's a little experiment: If our favorite 3rd-generation girl groups had their own Brave Sound songs, which would fit them best? This is purely based on my own opinion, so let's take it away...
AH - originally by AFTER SCHOOL
...but what if it was
WJSN?
"Ah" is a classic, an early example of the Brave Sound formula at its simplest. That beepy, metallic synth was a perfect backdrop for AS's debut, establishing them as the Pussycat Dolls of K-pop. In some ways, it feels like a more grown-up version of the spacey sound that WJSN had at their debut. So, if WJSN were to release "Ah" today, it would be both a nostalgic call-back to their early days and a bold, sexy new step for the group. With 10 members (or 13 if their China-line were to come back), WJSN have the energy and talent to pull this song off.
"Ah" is a classic, an early example of the Brave Sound formula at its simplest. That beepy, metallic synth was a perfect backdrop for AS's debut, establishing them as the Pussycat Dolls of K-pop. In some ways, it feels like a more grown-up version of the spacey sound that WJSN had at their debut. So, if WJSN were to release "Ah" today, it would be both a nostalgic call-back to their early days and a bold, sexy new step for the group. With 10 members (or 13 if their China-line were to come back), WJSN have the energy and talent to pull this song off.
ALONE - originally by SISTAR
...but what if it was
It's hard to assign a Brave Brothers bop to DC, because nothing in BB's arsenal even comes close to their rock sound. But they do have the charisma and sultriness to make "Alone" work. I think DC's dance line would especially shine here. Remix the song with a bit more guitar and add some horror elements, and you'd have an intriguing twist on this classic.
CRYING - originally by STELLAR
...but what if it was
Despite their lack of commercial success, Laboum just keep on going, and they've nailed a variety of different sounds while steadily evolving into maturity. They remind me of Stellar, another mismanaged yet undeniably talented group. And "Crying", if performed by Laboum, could become the summer bop that they need to lift them from obscurity. It's utterly danceable and I think it would fit them to a T.
EXCUSE ME - originally by AOA
...but what if it was
"Excuse Me" was a polarizing release, due in no small part to its campiness. But camp is something that Twice have always nailed. The "cute-sexy detective" concept would fit them perfectly, especially since JYPE spares no expense for their music videos. Each member's personality would get a chance to shine. For some reason, it's really easy to imagine Nayeon and Jihyo singing this song.
FIRST LOVE - originally by AFTER SCHOOL
...but what if it was
DIA are one of my favorite groups, but it's clear that MBK has never really had a direction in mind for them. Rather than backpedaling to youthful innocence like they did with their most recent comeback, I think it's time for them to show their true versatility with a concept like "First Love." Both After School and DIA have rapidly learned new skills such as cheer stunts, playing instruments, tap-dancing... DIA has some really talented dancers. All they need is a pole and a funky Brave Sound bop to show what they can do.
HEART ATTACK - originally by AOA
...but what if it was
Now that GFriend are really expanding their sound and image, I think "Heart Attack" would be a perfect marriage of their older and newer work. It's got the bright, sunshiny vibe of "Me Gustas Tu" and the confident sexiness of "Mago." GFriend have the energy to make this work, and if anyone other than Choa can pull off the vocals here, it's Yuju.
I'M ILL - originally by HELLO VENUS
...but what if it was
Once again, I'm pairing two groups with a similar career trajectory - at one point they had major attention from the public, but due to mismanagement they ended up struggling, all while putting out fun, campy dance bops. "I'm Ill" is like the older sister of Momoland's "I'm So Hot." It's a shameless celebration of the self with a beat that can really make you sweat. The neon palette and thumping beat are a perfect fit for Momoland.
LIKE A CAT - originally by AOA
...but what if it was
This song is an obvious choice for CLC. Their logo was a cat for years! But besides that, I think this song would be a perfect evolution of their sound, and it's remarkably easy to imagine Yeeun doing J***n's rap part. As one of the only 3rd-gen girl groups that have really played around in the sexy-concept space, I'd love to see CLC try on the cat ears.
LOVE OPTIONS - originally by BESTIE
...but what if it was
Besides the name of the song and group going well together, I find it surprisingly easy to imagine Lovelyz performing this song. It has that playful yet elegant, pretty vibe that they exude on tracks like "WoW!" "Love Options" is fun and a bit sexy, yet full of classy femininity.
MINISKIRT - originally by AOA
...but what if it was
It's very hard to assign a Brave Bros track to Red Velvet, because they are so much an SM group, and SM groups never sound like anything other than what they are. But if I had to, I'd go with "Miniskirt." Besides the obvious red theme, I think it'd actually be a nice blend of their "Red" and "Velvet" sides. I might rewrite the lyrics to be less desperate and more confident, per RV's brand.
SHORT HAIR - originally by AOA
...but what if it was
GUGUDAN?
I know that Gugudan have disbanded, but I'm too satisfied with this pick not to include it. Their "storybook theater" concept would work PERFECTLY for this song as a retelling of Rapunzel. The song has a colorful, vibrant sound that would fit in with their existing discography, and it'd be easy to add some more harmonies to really show off their capabilities. Come on, can't we get the group back together for one more release?
I know that Gugudan have disbanded, but I'm too satisfied with this pick not to include it. Their "storybook theater" concept would work PERFECTLY for this song as a retelling of Rapunzel. The song has a colorful, vibrant sound that would fit in with their existing discography, and it'd be easy to add some more harmonies to really show off their capabilities. Come on, can't we get the group back together for one more release?
SLEEPLESS NIGHT - originally by 9MUSES
...but what if it was
This is easily my favorite pick out of this list. Oh My Girl's fairylike concept and ethereal vocals honestly might make this song even better than the original, and that's an impossibly high bar to clear. If they ever decide to pivot toward a sexy concept, I hope that THIS is the kind of song we get from them.
SO CRAZY - originally by T-ARA
...but what if it was
The oddball of the bunch, "So Crazy" is a rare example of a Brave Bros track that doesn't stand out in the artist's discography. It was just too different from what T-ara were known for. But it's still a great song, and it might be the kind of song that Elris need to get their big break. They're adorable, and they would really pull off those cute sailor costumes.
SOMEONE LIKE U - originally by DAL SHABET
...but what if it was
If you haven't heard "Someone Like U," you're missing out on a strong contender for Brave Bros' magnum opus. It's a slice of pure '80s-inspired pop goodness. And after Sonamoo hit it out of the park with "Friday Night," I think they would sound dynamite on this track. It seems to be their forte. They're on the verge of disbandment now, but when the members get out of their awful company, maybe they can reunite and give us a bop like this?
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? - originally by 4MINUTE
...but what if it was
BLACKPINK?
Like SM artists, YG artists also have a certain sound that they rarely step out of. But YGE actually has a history with Brave Bros. If they were to collaborate again, I bet it'd sound something like this, and it'd be a refreshing change of pace for Blackpink. "What's Your Name?" would be a fun, danceable track for BP - and they wouldn't have to take their ~Swag~ so seriously!
Like SM artists, YG artists also have a certain sound that they rarely step out of. But YGE actually has a history with Brave Bros. If they were to collaborate again, I bet it'd sound something like this, and it'd be a refreshing change of pace for Blackpink. "What's Your Name?" would be a fun, danceable track for BP - and they wouldn't have to take their ~Swag~ so seriously!
WIGGLE WIGGLE - originally by HELLO VENUS
...but what if it was
Okay, hear me out before you start typing your comment... I would change a lot about this song, MV, and choreo before giving it to HV's younger sister group, Weki Meki. It's undeniably a bop, a classic, but it shows a level of objectification that's thankfully a lot more rare in K-pop these days. But we still need booty shaking anthems! If Weki Meki donned some nice jeans and got some nicer choreo that put their amazing dance skills to work, they could turn this forgotten gem into a diamond.
Sources: YouTube: xCHELLy, starshipTV, TheEntertainmentPascal, 1theK (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), fantagio (1, 2), AOA, GENIE MUSIC, MBK Entertainment [Official]; Tumblr: femaleidols (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), anna-something, chaisexuality, allfemaleidols, lovelyzdaily, redvelvetcult, jungyerinz, hyyerin, ryusujeongz, whatchatalkabout, doyeonkim
So what do you think? With Brave Girls finally getting their well-deserved recognition, is it time to bring back the good old days of Brave Sound bops? Which song/artist picks would you make differently, and what about the many songs/artists that I didn't include? Leave your thoughts below!
Tags:
- !omona exclusive,
- 4minute,
- after school,
- aoa,
- bestie,
- blackpink,
- clc,
- dal★shabet,
- dia,
- dreamcatcher,
- elris,
- gfriend,
- gugudan,
- hello venus,
- laboum,
- lovelyz,
- momoland,
- nine muses,
- oh my girl,
- red velvet,
- sistar,
- sonamoo,
- stellar,
- t-ara,
- twice,
- weki meki,
- wjsn
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Date: 2021-03-24 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 07:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-27 11:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-27 10:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 07:29 pm (UTC)really like the concept of this post op, makes me see some newer gg's in a new light
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Date: 2021-03-24 07:42 pm (UTC)this post is mostly just reminding me of how much i love aoa's discography which is depressing because i can't listen to it since we found about mina. not a brave brothers song but still falls the rain is my ultimate fave gg b-side and its tainted now :(
weirdly they've made tons of amazing songs but if i remember right they did quite a few for sistar but none of them aside from alone were memorable in comparison to the rest of their discography maybe the combo just didn't work
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-27 11:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 09:07 pm (UTC)it's pretty good but doesn't scream “BRAVE BROTHERS!” which, imo, brave girls' “we ride” also suffered from
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 09:38 pm (UTC)I actually miss their sound and work :(
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 08:40 pm (UTC)Forget this sound coming back... just bring Namyu back
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Date: 2021-03-24 09:59 pm (UTC)This is one of my favourite kind of thought experiment, like once I sketched out a very long line up of groups each covering a different SNSD song. It's amazing to do with with a producer like Brave Bro!!! Especially as he worked with many different groups and did produce different sounds — no matter how hard we clowned him back then for the Alone 2.0 and others lol. Such an important influence on kpop's sound.
I actually never got really into Brave Bro's songs as much as others because I'm always a little freaked out to hear his voice so prominent as part of the instrumental — lmao I feel like it's a small issue but he's everywhere on some of these! A full on featuring!
Other thoughts:
- Sunmi's Full Moon by Chungha
- After School's Because of You by Izone
- Son Dambi's Saturday Night by Yukika (citypop remix)
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 07:38 am (UTC)Even the cringiest intros turn iconic instead of staying only cringy, AOA's Like a Cat became a meme for a reason lol.
Plus usually his songs for girl groups are sung on a higher key so his autotuned male voice in the background is so distracting lmao
I haven't ranted about Brave Bro in years, tbh it was fun to do and I kinda miss it 😂
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Date: 2021-03-25 09:26 am (UTC)op is this a post you made or is this still in your head? because this would be suchhh a good read
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Date: 2021-03-25 10:40 am (UTC)Could be a nice idea of a special post leading up Soshi's next debut anniversary :) (because I doubt SM will celebrate it properly lmao)
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:38 pm (UTC)I don't remember every pairing I got in this google doc, but I do remember giving Hoot to TWICE partly because Soshi had retro styling during that era and I wanted TWICE to have a retro concept sooo bad (by when I wrote it, the "retro-est" concept was Signal I think?), and partly because I felt the focus on 9-members formations in the choreo + the "cutie-sexy" vibe of it would both fit TWICE.
But now that I have my TWICE-retro fix with I Can't Stop Me, I might switch songs around!
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Date: 2021-03-26 05:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-27 11:51 am (UTC)and full moon by chungha would be AMAZING... now i wish she'd participated when they covered it on produce 101
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Date: 2021-03-29 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 10:23 pm (UTC)this just made me miss 9Muses and BESTie quite a bit
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 05:41 am (UTC)(i didn't realise so many songs I like were BB, geez)
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Date: 2021-03-25 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 08:34 am (UTC)This was a great post, op, and I’d love to see covers of these songs by newer groups!
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Date: 2021-03-25 10:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-27 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:27 pm (UTC)I feel like BB is the type of producer that plays into the fact that kpop is dated, songs like I’m I’ll didn’t sound fresh even when it was released. But they’re so much fun that can I overlook it and see it as part of the charm.
Since it was fun going down memory lane with past BB releases, some of my ‘rankings’:
Love/Strongly Like (lol): Excuse Me, I’m Ill, Sleepless Night, Heart Attack, Ah, First Love
Like: Short Hair, Miniskirt, Wiggle Wiggle, Someone Like U, Love Options, Like A Cat, Crying. Most of these can still fit under strongly like lol.
Can take it or leave it/Meh: What’s Your Name, Alone (I know this is legendary Sistar song but I always kinda bored by it), So Crazy
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 01:43 pm (UTC)rewatching all these classic MVs made me realize how extremely sexualized kpop was just a few years ago. and now everyone is strangely virginal. tbh I prefer that no girls are being forced to perform such objectifying choreos and star in extremely male gaze-y videos. we went from the "whore" to the "madonna"; typical men.
its kinda crazy that 5 years ago watching these try hard ~sexy videos i was only concerned for the girls' well being but I wasnt turned off. but after kpop went through its virginal phase, now when i see the girlies wearing a bikni basically and thigh high boots, dancing sensually i feel weird. even though it appears that these girls are doing it out of their own volition (see lisa, clc seungyeon, DC SuA etc.). then on the other hand i watch megan and cardi and see no issue...its really crazy how the status quo can color your vision/perception.
edit: i think perhaps my discomfort now stems from the fact that im older and the girls younger. plus after following kpop for so long i am no longer in the dark about how extremely disturbing it is bts
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Date: 2021-03-25 01:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-25 02:44 pm (UTC)I think it’s worth noting that Cardi and Megan have a lot of control over their work (....they do right??? I apologize if I’m not, sorry!!! I know the US music scene is very different although it’s still men in power making decisions, but usually they have more input as artists) Now their work is also subject to discussion as it revolves around the male gaze and being sexy so the conversation of focusing on sex appeal when you do consent to it is a whole conversation in itself. That’s a lot of choice feminism and it not existing in a vacuum and what not. But knowing it’s not tons of men telling the women “hey you HAVE to do this” changes the dynamic. It’s still conflicting, but knowing Stellar felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed after seeing teasers of them sexualized shows, I feel so much for them as they didn’t have a say. It was men deciding for them and it’ll always squick me out.
Personally I’d say the phase in the mid 2010s was the virginal period at least concept wise, with the rise of the cute concept that was still appealing to men but in the ‘girlfriend only has eyes for me, she’s perfect since she’s never been with other men” type of way. But personally I don’t view currently as virginal, it’s more just reduced focus on sexuality that I’ve honestly been enjoying. (I had absence but edited it as it’s never fully gone, not in this industry).
I think it’s a big reason why I gravitated toward Dreamcatcher, I’ve seen asexual fans talk about what they find DC appealing and I think that’s pretty cool for a society so obsessed with sex. Now that the ‘virginal’ period girl groups are getting older, I’m seeing concepts that still involve relationships but covered a middle ground that I find more interesting. It’s why I found Twice’s trilogy of songs in 2020 really interesting, the ‘story’ they told over 3 songs of someone being taken over by obsession is something I never expected from Twice and it showed a whole new side. Sunmi’s Tail I think also did a fantastic job of having a sexual tone that still had some agency to it since Sunmi seems to have more control over her work than other idols.
I do agree that what idols projecting to their fans is still incredibly calculated.
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Date: 2021-03-25 06:43 pm (UTC)i agree the concepts are less virginal now but i think its because of the rise of girl crush concepts. however, the way idols interact with each other is still very virginal. if two idols from the opposite sex even breathe next to each other... all hell breaks loose. we had hyuna kissing hyun-seung live but if someone were to do that now..
and yea ia about sunmi. shes already established so she can afford to do and choose which concepts she wants etc. but at least we are seeing fewer nugu groups relying on sexuality to gain attention.
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Date: 2021-03-27 11:53 am (UTC)and it made me think of a combination of aoa's like a cat and lim kim's awoo
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Date: 2021-03-26 05:01 am (UTC)It would be interesting to see the newer groups redo these songs.
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Date: 2021-03-27 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-29 02:42 am (UTC)