Welcome to ManelyKpop, a place where articles are written about, well, mainly kpop. Today let’s take a look at Everglow’s new album -77.28x-78.29, which will henceforth be called Antarctica, because the coordinate title is silly and hard to remember. In this we’ll explore if the album makes us feel warm and fuzzy, or like we’re trapped by the south pole with nothing but a t-shirt, some shorts, and three sparklers for warmth. As always, before discussing all the songs on the album, let’s take a review of the mv for title track La Di Da.
The Music Video
This music video is, in my personal opinion, absolute fire. It’s really good. There’s so much I like here, to start, the actual setting and feeling of the video. This is retro, it opens up looking kind of like Blade Runner, the black-white-gray rainy and honestly dreary city atmosphere. But then it gets color and becomes fun and exciting, reds and yellows across that black and grey city landscape really hammers home the retro fun sci-fi with a little noir feeling, it’s perfect. There is no real plot to speak of, which isn’t really bad or good for me personally, a good plot is good, a bad plot is bad, no plot just removes a dangerous variable. The settings are fairly limited, so if you want a video where you get a bunch of diverse settings and styles this is not the one for you, but if you like stylish and sleek, this is it.
In terms of the styling for the members, it’s fantastic, going full leather is really risky and hard to pull off, but the stylists did a great job, and Everglow makes it look super cool. The other outfits are fine, more traditional Everglow feeling outfits, but they bring a nice balance to the boldness of the leather. The rest of the styling is also great, as it always is with this group. The dance, without having seen a dance practice, looks fairly typical for them, slow moving poses, chest pops, a dance break with floor work, but it all suits the video well, so it’s safe but completely appropriate and accentuating to the concept. This video is one of my favorites all year, not as good as Nature’s Girls horror concept, and with a completely different feeling from the graceful Butterfly from WJSN or the super high and weird energy of KARD Gunshot.
Rating: 9.2/10
Yeah this video is great, and it is rated higher than what I had Nature’s Girls at in that review, but since writing that review I’ve come to see that video as a 9.5 and my favorite of the year. This one will likely be in my top 5 for the end of year.
The Songs
La Di Da- So I had a lot of praise for the music video, and part of that comes from this song being a fantastic conceptual fit, the bright bouncy synthwave tune that feels like the protagonist of a 80s sci-fi movie is fighting against neverending odds works great. This song does something I feel no other Everglow song has done as well though, which is using every member’s unique vocal charms in a way that all fits together cohesively. Aisha’s deeper tones, Siyeon’s smooth voice, Onda’s high and perky style, E:U’s swaggy rap, Mia’s power pop, and Yiren’s ability to say anything and make it catchy all blend perfectly. E:U and Aisha really stand out for me here in particular, as well as “Everglow forever let’s go,” and Yiren’s La Di Da interruption of the final chorus.
Untouchable- This song comes in after La Di Da with a nice retro feeling too, but with a more chill and relaxed take on it, following on a nice driving electric drum beat. I really like the bridge, and enjoy the verses decently well. But the chorus does lose me a little bit. I have mixed feelings here clearly, but I think the chorus takes up enough of the song that this won’t make any playlist I make.
Gxxd Boy- As much praise as I have for La Di Da being fun and retro, and a great use of the group. This song is, to me, mostly whispers over a fairly annoying beat, some chanting, and a decent vocal chorus. Not a fan of this one.
No Good Reason- This is the most reminiscent of previous tracks of any song on the album, and honestly, that’s a good thing. Not everything should sound the same, it’s why I like La Di Da, it’s a great variation, but having one song harkening back to what has become the group’s defining sound makes it feel extra pleasant and comfortable to listen to. This is also, I think, the “slow song” of the four, that’s usually what the last song is, and for that, I’m happy it’s upbeat and engaging. It may be called No Good Reason, but I think I have a good reason for liking the song, it’s solid.
Rating: 7/10
Untouchable doesn’t help the rating but it doesn’t hurt, I really like La Di Da and No Good Reason, but man Gxxd Boy does hurt the rating for me a lot, this would be a solid 8-8.5 otherwise but it’s not a ¾ rating, it’s the whole picture.
So, how’d you like this effort from Everglow? Did you like Gxxd Boy, did you enjoy the stylistic shift in music and video on La Di Da? Let us know on our Instagram, and give us a follow while you’re there to see when new articles launch, and to show us a little love, because it’s what the world has too little of.