K-Pop Double Take is a weekly review column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.
The boys of B.I.G are back.
"Taola," the latest single from the K-pop quintet, released Nov. 11 on G.H. Entertainment, is a funky and futuristic single, full of cutting edge sonic details and one monster groove.
An acronym for Boys In Groove, B.I.G consists of members J-Hoon, Benji, Gunmin, Minpyo and Heedo.
The group made their debut last year with a single titled, aptly enough, "Hello." That same year, they also covered the eternal Wham! Holiday classic "Last Christmas," turning the '80s anthem into a smooth hip-hop soul groover, complete with rapping.
"Taola" takes a super-charged audio palate to the hoop for a funky slam dunk.
The track opens with the rubbery synth and drum groove that sounds like G-Funk taken into the future. Not much later, a high energy sawtooth synth cuts in, the kind you would hear on a clubby trance song.
These two elements, taken together, point towards an a sonic sensibility that's a bit Dr. Dre, but also a bit super club rave. And let us not forgot those big piano stabs that happen throughout the track. They make me think of the Max Martin-produced Britney Spears classic "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in a big way.
Laser-beam drum fills and micro-breakbeats swing in and out of the song, providing cutting edge detail work that gives "Taola" a fully next level feel. Honestly, it's a bit Aphex Twin by way of Skrillex, all neon synths and big beats. If Max Martin collaborated with Skrillex, it might come out sounding a bit like "Taola."
When all of this is combined with a melodic pop chorus and some aggressive rapping, the end result is a winning track perfect for blasting really loud in a fast moving car.
Minpyo closes out the track with a flaming hot rap verse before the last chorus; the whole song runs like a well-oiled, funky machine.
On "Taola," as much as ever before, B.I.G live up to their name, getting in the groove and staying there for the duration of this fantastic single.
Watch the music video video for B.I.G's "Taola" by B.I.G. RIGHT HERE
John Chiaverina is a musician and journalist living in New York City. He has performed in over 18 countries, including two tours of South Korea, under the name "Juiceboxxx."
