K-Pop Double Take: Awesome Baby's Debut Single 'Why Should I?' Shows Aaliyah's Influence Still Looms Large In Hallyu [AUDIO]

K-Pop Double Take is a weekly review column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.

With the endless cavalcade of K-pop girl groups, each with seemingly sleeker production than the previous one, making it difficult for even the most devout Hallyu fan to keep up, it's always exciting when an act isn't afraid to channel the rawer sounds of a previous era.

Though Awesome Baby may only be the latest in a long line of South Korean pop artists from AOA to KOHO to channel the highly influential late '90s collaboration of vocalist Aaliyah and her revered production team of Timbaland and Missy Elliott, this group finds an interesting new take on this well-worn dance sound.

On "Why Should I?," released on June 19, this "rookie" group shows that they understand a critical aspect of music making that many veteran pop acts often seem to miss--the vibe.

Though the trend in K-pop seems to be more Auto-Tune, more abrasive house beats and fast, more relentless subdivided rhythms, Awesome Baby show how simple sounds, like an impassioned vocal performance untempered by digital enhancement or pitch correction, just feel better to listen to.

Maybe you're the kind of person who drives around in their car blasting house music (though if that's the case, we may part ways on more things that simply audio production). But if there's room in your stereo for any dance track more than 20 years old, you know deep down that there's a certain magic that comes from recordings that didn't have a digital safety net.

The fact that Awesome Baby have both the guts and the talent to explore this kind of stripped-down production on their first release is a very encouraging sign.

Listen to the debut single "Why Should I?" from the five-member K-pop girl group Awesome Baby RIGHT HERE

Tags
Awesome Baby
Why Should I
K-Pop Double-Take
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics