Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The Top 10 Kpop Girl Group Dance Practice Videos

*Insert every 9MUSES dance practice video here*

Just kidding, unbunch panties please.

So let me start with the reason I much rather prefer dance practice videos over actual music videos. I don't know if it's just me, but lately I've been feeling uncomfortable watching girl group MVs. Why? The styling and makeup has become WAY too over the top, and no, I don't mean they cake their faces. I'm talking about those fake contact lenses and ... okay, mainly those fake contact lenses that just make them look too pretty. Like way too pretty. Like to the point where pretty just stops being pretty and starts being more like creepy (Am I making any sense here?). And to make matters worse, they have to make those super close-ups to their face to emphasize the point.

For example:


Please tell me I'm not the only one.


Second is — too many colors. No location on Earth is as colorful as a Kpop music video. It may be visually stimulating the first few times, but honestly, it's just annoying now.

But dance practice videos, firstly and most obviously, focus on the dancing. And Kpop dances are one of the best things in Kpop itself. You get to see idols wearing casual clothes where they look like actual human beings. No annoying or awkward camera angles. And as a person who personally likes dancing, you get to appreciate the technical aspect of their choreography.

But what do you know? They had to go ahead and make that "Eye Contact Version" bullshit. I came here to watch a fucking dance practice video, and you're giving me a practice room version of your music video. Random face close-ups, a camera that keeps trying to give me a seizure, to be honest I'm focusing more on closing this damn video than on actually looking at your choreography. Effort = Wasted.

So enough of my rambling. I'm here to give you my top 10 favorite dance practice videos. Just my personal opinion, mostly based on how original/enjoyable the choreography is and on the fact that there is no annoying camera movement.


10. 4MINUTE - "Whatcha Doin' Today?'


Regardless of what everyone else says, I love this song, this choreo, and this dance practice video. Honestly, the first time I heard this song, I couldn't stop replaying it. I know people are saying "4MINUTE lost their touch" or whatnot, and true, their music style has changed since the "Huh," "Hot Issue" and "I My Me Mine" days (I loved all those songs, too), but that doesn't mean their music sucks. They still release better music than the shit other girl groups release these days. Back to the main point, I love the choreo here, especially at the chorus, since it's kinda easy to learn but fun at the same time. It's not the most original — that's why it's No. 10 — but it's enjoyable to watch.


9. FIESTAR - "You're Pitiful"


"You're Pitiful" is a fairly decent song, only it gets boring pretty fast. Either way, I'm a big fan of chair choreography. Heck, if Red Velvet's "Be Natural" had a practice room version, it would No. 1 on this list since I really, REALLY, like the choreography (but mostly ended up cramping my thighs whenever I attempted it). Anyway, great dance, and there's not much else to say. I'm no professional, really, so I can't get technical.


8.  KARA - "Mamma Mia"


All I can say is I really wish they didn't have those unflattering name tags on. But the dance makes up for it. As for the song itself, it's a lot better than that mediocre, unmemorable bullshit "Cupid." But it's also one of those songs that gets boring pretty fast, mainly because the chorus is too repetitive (which is self-contradictory since choruses ARE repetitive, but it's just one of those choruses that start to get annoying after a while, if that makes any sense). Bottom line, great dance, moving on.


7. Orange Caramel - "My Copycat"


I can easily say Orange Caramel is like the best Kpop girl group to exist. Their songs are just so fucking addicting, and I think they have the most solid track record out there (even though they have a few countable meh releases, which is rare). And they have similarly addictive dances. If I had to put my two cents in, though, the choreography during the chorus is the best part. The rest can be sort of dull (I don't know if I'm the only one who noticed this). But the "behind-the-scenes" footage makes up for it.


6. Hello Venus - "Wiggle Wiggle"


Ah, the infamous "Wiggle Wiggle" dance. Of course, they made the list. I don't even gotta say shit. The song is okay, not something I'd put in my playlist, but it's listenable. Just a little note, irrelevant to this topic, but I don't think I've ever encountered any hardcore Hello Venus fans (I don't know for shit what their fandom is called or if they even have one) now that I think about it. Have any of you? 


5. Orange Caramel - "Catallena" 


I'm sorry, but the beginning behind-the-scenes footage is life and is enough reason to put this video here. Accompanied with a great dance, Orange Caramel's "Catallena" makes the top five no questions asked. The song is equally awesome, even though my expression the first few times I heard it were along the lines of this:


But eventually, I got addicted to it. A great release that saved 2014, or at least tried. Because 2014 was just a fucking mess.


4. Gfriend - "Me Gustas Tu"


Now let's be real: I have no idea who Gfriend are, and I don't give two fucks about their songs. I don't even like this song (I don't hate it either. It's just boring, and I don't even remember what it sounds like). But one day, this video randomly showed up on my "Suggested Videos" page, so I checked it out. And I was impressed. The girls are perfectly synchronized, and the choreography is interesting enough to talk about. I still don't care about the song, though.


3. 9MUSES - "Hurt Locker"


I think I made it pretty clear how much I love this dance and pretty much all of 9MUSES' dances. Whoever choreographs their dances gets a lot of points in my book for being an absolute genius and for actual being original and creative. Apart from that, the girls themselves are great dancers and are very synchronized. Also this is irrelevant, but they have the best practice room fashion.


2. After School - "First Love"


Oh, how could we forget the queens of Kpop dance? Does anyone here know how difficult pole dancing is? Well, neither do I, but I tried climbing a rope before, and I sure as hell didn't do any actual climbing. I don't know how climbing a rope relates to pole dancing but whatever. I know a lot of time, effort, and thigh bruises went into this dance, and I can appreciate that. Props to After School for the hard work and speaking of which, #PrayforAfterSchoolcomeback. 


And finally, my personal favorite dance of all time:

1. 9MUSES - "Glue"


Honestly, I am in love with this song and dance and, not to mention, this lineup, when they actually had nine fucking members. Why are you even still reading this? Watch the damn video and APPRECIATE. 

9MUSES' choreographer is reeeeally friendly. Also, I think this one of the most legendary moves in kpop.

So yeah, this is just my personal opinion, so don't get your panties in a knot. I may have forgotten a few, because let's be real, whenever I have to do these "top 10" kinda things, I forget every single Kpop song I ever heard. True story. 

Hmm, anyways ... Writing makes me hungry. I'mma go stare at my fridge. Byee!

30 comments:

  1. You are so right about overuse of color in music videos. SNSD's latest being a case in point... perhaps that is why I like Crazy so much, because it is much more restrained in terms of color.

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    Replies
    1. There probably are a million K-pop songs with "crazy" in/as the title.

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  2. You haven't been into kpop long, have you?

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  3. T-ara's Lovey Dovey and Cry Cry are amazing where the fuck are those 2 in the list

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  4. If you're into chair choreography, check out Chocolat's One more day:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWLwiWv7oz0

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    Replies
    1. Chocolat are pretty good, and their song "One More Day" was on my playlist for quite long. Great song and choreo.

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    2. I forgot Sistar19's My boy:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovVfLancwys

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    3. The Chocolat chair molesting was glorious.

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  5. So impressed with After School!! Yes, I do know how hard pole dancing is! I’m so happy they didn't just use the pole as a butt-leaning prop. They learned real moves. That's amazing upper body strength for climbs and spins. You need quads of steel for pole-sits and lean-backs. All body-weight is held between those tight thighs. No one can ever say these are thin, weak, diet-starved girls. They are strong, athletic dancers. But the bruises [we call them pole kisses!] are the un-sexy part my man teases me about. I bet the girls looked beat up the first few months.

    PS. absolutely hate circle lenses. demon-possessed dead-eyed dolls. creepy.

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  6. The Hello Venus fandom was called Cupids I think, no idea how many are left after Pledis bailed out and let Fandango lower the quality of the group significantly (God damnit Pledis, the fuck you keep NU'EST for instead of Hello Venus).

    Certainly can't say I consider myself that much of a HV fan anymore, despite buying all three first mini-albums and bought the second one twice >,>

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. I, too, miss spastic Sunny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uTQ23ZOtyc

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  8. Maybe because it appeals to my pervy nature, but I like eye contact versions the best. When it comes to pure dance practice videos, my favorite will always be old school Crayon Pop's "Bing Bing". I just love the quick tight synchronization in the dancing.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo82koP4sDk

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  9. I love everything about Nine Muses's "Glue." Everything was perfect.
    I can't stop singing "Me Gustas Tu" the dance practice is better than the actual mv. I heard the guy who choreographed BTS's "Dope" also choreographed "Me Gustas Tu", no wonder it was so strong!

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  10. i'm pretty sure this site owner is a hardcore hello cupid

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  11. You should check some groups like Crayon Pop, Stellar, Pungdeng-E, Secret(I'm in love)... .
    Especially Crayon Pop. They have many version of "Bing bing" but this is the most viewed. It's freaking crazy.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo82koP4sDk

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    Replies
    1. I don't really like Crayon Pop that much (SUE ME). Idk they just don't appeal to me that much...
      Stellar's 'Vibrato' was fucking spectacular but the dance was meh...they just had one interesting step (you know which one I'm talking about). "Marionette" and "Study" were great songs too.
      I have no idea who Pungdeng-E is.
      Secret's "I'm in love" is pretty good, I just forgot about it. I'd probably rank it around 6th place.

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  12. There should be a top 10 Nine Muses dances list, so basically everything except for no playboy

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    1. True. I honestly think they make the best quality dance practice videos. Even the "Figaro" dance practice video was surprisingly good. Whoever choreographs for them deserves a cookie, real talk.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M600vOWerzw

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  13. There should be a top 10 Nine Muses dances list, so basically everything except for no playboy

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  14. How is there not a single AOA video :(

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  15. How is there not a single AOA video :(

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  16. How is there not a single AOA video :(

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  17. Well well Oreo, glad you made me realise not all males appreciate OTT makeup.
    I have never understood why anyone would wear coloured contact lenses to drastically change their appearance (don't even mention the circle lenses).

    I'd choose natural over plastic.
    Unless it's......nvm.

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  18. Nobody can beat Hadam's new thang.

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  19. You got that right about Hadam's "New Thang." Too bad she stopped doing it.

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