안녕하세요 fellow K-nerds,
As K-pop fans, we all had to start somewhere. Some of us started listening to K-pop early, while others recently got into the genre. But the love of it all is what connects us. This new segment, “Blast From the Past” (#BFTP for short), is meant to let newer fans connect with some of the older songs in the K-pop world and show how the industry has evolved into what it is now. 😊
The first group that we are going to explore today is g.o.d. Considered a legendary group by many, g.o.d debuted under J.Y.P Entertainment in 1999 and went on to be one of the “million-seller” groups. They debuted with the single “To Mother” and released hit songs such as “Lies”, “Friday Night”, “Observation”, and many more. All the members have since moved on to solo activities which put the group promotions on an indefinite hiatus. The most recent group promotions was their 15th anniversary concert in 2014. This year, they have plans to travel to the US for concerts so we all hope for more group promotions in the future. Now, let’s explore one of their most famous releases!
Song Review:
“Sky Blue Balloon” immediately starts off with a throwback sound. The piano-accordion at the beginning is a preview of how fun and uplifting the song is going to be. Throughout the whole song, the prominent sound of the high hat makes the song sound lighter than it really is, while the refreshing hand claps in the background set the pace. The sound of the piano-accordion from the beginning also persists throughout the song and when mixed with the bass of the backing track, creates a very catchy tune that gets stuck in your head very easily. I understand why many people keep singing this song at the 노래방 (karaoke room). Overall, a solid song by g.o.d and I see myself listening to this song over and over again in the near future!
The vocal dynamics of the group makes this song even more interesting. Kim Tae-woo’s nasal vocals and Yoon Kye-sang’s clear voice mixed with Danny Ahn and Park Joon-hyung’s rap blends really well together. The switches between the vocals and the rap are very smooth. The line distribution allows each of the members to show off his vocal ability very well. There is not much to say about their vocals; it’s just very well done and mixed together.
Song Rating: 9/10
Legacy:
I started to listen to g.o.d when I heard this song appear on the variety show “Roommate”, which starred g.o.d member Joon-hyung as well . The song had a very memorable beat and nice vocals that were easy to follow. Many of today’s idol groups have cited g.o.d as their inspiration, and I can say in my opinion, this group was integral to the development of the K-pop industry. They set the standard for how Korean music should sound like and if you search for this song on Youtube, you will find a lot of groups doing covers. g.o.d had such a huge impact on not just the groups’ development, but also each artist’s personal growth. Even though they might not release a new album, we hope to see a new single release and see them touch even more hearts in the near future!
This post was written by our guest blogger, Hallyu Dongsaeng.
