In the almighty words of RuPaul: Bring…back…my girls.
Last week, Girls’ Generation and 2NE1 both returned to the K-Pop scene with their newest releases — a mini-album, Mr.Mr., and a second studio album, Crush, respectively.
Title track “Mr.Mr” is the first Korean-language single from Girls’ Generation since their still-incredible “I Got A Boy” in 2013. It’s a gritty, genre-shifting synth-y lil’ electro-gem, which almost sounds a bit like Britney‘s “Gimme More” crossed with Timbaland‘s “The Way I Are” — that is, until it explodes into that joyous, oh-so-K-Pop chorus. “Mistah, mistah!” And that little dance break at the end? And then a key change? It’s a major win.
And then, there’s 2NE1.
Incredible, Crush is the group’s first Korean studio album since their 2010 debut. While the title track is my personal favorite from the bunch as well as “MTBD,” the killer solo track by The Baddest Female herself CL (THE BEST), the girls have opted to release two promo singles from the album: “Happy” and “Come Back Home.” And they’re good too!
Just as they’ve always delivered, the visual for “Come Back Home” is nothing short of a mini-masterpiece (and a bit of a mindfuck), blending The Matrix, Hunger Games, Tron and a little bit of Bey‘s “Superpower” video all together for one sci-fi smorgasbord. It’s as rich and strange and diverse as the reggae-dub-K-Pop track itself.
“Happy,” on the other hand, is the ultimate kiss-off jam. If the breezy track’s not uplifting enough (even if the message isn’t really all that happy), the girls are certainly working hard to make you crack a smile. The video is adorable overload — from the fierce fashions to the insanely amazing hairstyles. And if that’s not enough, there’s even some cutesy cartoon bubbles and faces. Y SO SERIOUS?! “I’m not happy…but I hope you’re happy!” the girls cheerfully conclude. It’s basically the same musical statement as Natalie Imbruglia‘s “Want” — which is a very good thing.
So there you have it: The ladies are officially back to save South Korea.
Now, I love both acts to death, but I thought I’d offer up the question to discuss amongst yourselves: Do you have a favorite between the two?
‘Mr.Mr’ was released on February 24. (iTunes) ‘Crush’ was released on February 27. (iTunes)