Along with the many comebacks this season is the growing number of debuts, and one debutant girl group in particular who’s creating plenty of buzz is Rania.
Firstly, the group: there’s a handful of members (Semi, Riko, Jui, Di, Joy, T-ae, and Xia), who all have the same ‘pretty face’ going for them and pretty much wear the same thing. No surprise there, but it’s when they begin performing that the controversy begins.
According to the media, Rania are just too racy for comfort. The suggestiveness of their dancing is the root of the problem, and they have thereby been ordered to run back to the drawing board and tone down their moves for future performances, or at least cover up their skimpy outfits, which they have just recently done.
This specific issue has always existed in pop culture, and really, artists will still continue selling sex left and right (which does include the men) because it simply works, now more than ever. In Rania’s case, as well as a couple other girl groups, they seemingly crossed a fine line and it was too much for the sensitive Korean broadcasters to handle.
But what does this have to do with Rania’s music?
Well, why do you think they would need to dance oh-so suggestively to begin with?
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Track List:
01. Dr. Feel Good (English Version)
02. Dr. Feel Good (Korean Version)
03. Masquerade (English Version)
04. Dr. Feel Good (Inst.)
05. Masquerade (Inst.)
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“Dr. Dr. Feel Good, come make me feel real good/ strap me down into my chair/ I’ve been feeling real bad,” Rania sing in the chorus of their lead single, “Dr. Feel Good” (taken from the English Version).
Clearly, Rania aren’t heating up the dance floor just for kicks. There are direct threads, from the double entendres in their lyrics to their risque image and moves. It’s definitely provocative and risky, but that’s what they’re going for. Consider it morally wrong if you want, but it’s right on the money, musically.
Unlike most of the mini albums released by K-pop girl groups, Rania’s doesn’t feature several concepts or themes (a sad/dark song here, a cute, uptempo song there), nor different styles wrapped up in a pretty little box. This mini album focuses on one thing and one thing only: lust. I’m sure that’s not all they have to offer, but Rania are steering this first impression with an exuberance of sensuality and it shows all over their songs (which is a total of two).
For starters, “Dr. Feel Good” has exaggerated melodies in the refrain, very ‘come hither‘ in a seductive way while riding (no pun intended) on an electro-pop beat and transitioning in and out by stuttering pre-choruses. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but not a bad song at all. It has good structure, a really nice production – not to mention it reminds me of “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. Great song – but what is probably the most admirable element is the hint of strong voices.
It’s difficult to pin down who’s singing what (partially because I haven’t identified names with faces yet), but the entire thing is sung surprisingly well. They have found a strong unified voice for the group, which is a good sign this early in the game, and it sounds great with this kind of up-tempo song.
I’d argue, though, that they sound even more amazing on “Masquerade.”
What there is to enjoy about “Masquerade” are the connections between the eerie nuances and ‘dark’ feel of the song to the connotation of the title. They make sense on paper, and the way Rania sing it – mysteriously pompous with a hint of seduction – sounds appropriate. More interesting is how well of a follow up song this is to “Dr. Feel Good” on the same album. They don’t sound like two distinct songs by two different artists, but like two distinct songs by the same one, and that’s noteworthy for a rookie group.
I like the stressing of the first syllables of the verses in this song with the subsequent release of tension in the chorus. It’s a very pop thing to do in the structure, but it really adds that extra kick of dimension to the song. However, that’s as far as I think I can go with the praise, because overall, these songs are a hair away from being memorable for me. In other words, they’re just solid.
Above anything else, it’s awesome that Teddy Riley has jumped on this project and has contributed his expertise and support to Rania’s debut. He’s done a great job, but my major let down has to be with the instrumental of both of these songs. They’re very tame at best, with very little build up and flair. Rania’s foray into the music scene could be even more explosive if they were backed up with killer beats. It’s minimalistic, if you will.
But having said that, Rania have massive potential. Their vocals are already decent for K-pop standards and they will only get better over time. Rania also possess great stamina on stage (have you seen them live?) and could potentially tear up the dance floor with the right material.
I like when you can actually tell that a brand new group (or any group for that matter) is trying and giving it 110% to sell their songs, even if there’s the possibility for said songs to be even better, because that’s the whole point. Rania have made it a priority to showcase their vocal talent, and for the most part they have delivered in that respect.
What would be great to see now is for Rania to carry their style (musical and image-wise) and conviction to a more interesting place in order to reveal the creative potential that is bound to develop. They’re that close to having a legit presence in the Korean pop music scene; all they need are the mind-blowing songs.
source) http://www.allkpop.com/2011/04/review-teddy-riley-the-first-expansion-in-asia-by-rania
