As ordinary, SBS’s year-end pageant falls on Christmas day. Due to this, the themes have been getting increasingly holiday-focused with every passing 12 months. Everybody and their mom carried out a “Christmas model” of their songs tonight, however you don’t get to name one thing a “Christmas model” simply since you throw sleigh bells on the observe for 5 seconds through the intro! I’m positively searching for an even bigger reinterpretation than that, which means preparations that took larger dangers rank larger on my checklist – even when these dangers didn’t fairly repay. And to be sincere, not many did. Shoehorning Christmas into songs that don’t have anything to do with the vacation is usually grating and grows very tiresome for 3 hours straight.
To assuage this worry of repetition, SBS themed tonight “Merry & Freaky Christmas.” I nonetheless can’t consider that is what they determined to go together with. It’s a wierd phrase, to make sure, and one thing I’d be comfortable to by no means hear once more. I’ll even be good with out sleigh bells for awhile. Perhaps after this 12 months SBS shouldn’t lean thus far into Christmas. It’s too limiting and ends in bizarre conceptual mash-ups or cut-and-paste sleigh bell nonsense.
So far as staging is worried, I additionally discovered issues fairly bizarre this 12 months. Lots of the phases didn’t benefit from the large venue, positioning teams in entrance of LED screens that made the performances really feel fairly small. This was irritating and robbed the phases of their sense of spectacle. Conversely, there usually appeared to be a disconnect between the performers and viewers, making issues really feel surprisingly impersonal. For these reveals, you actually need to go considered one of two methods: large or intimate. With some exceptions, I don’t really feel like SBS hit the mark in both route.
Regardless of a killer line-up, tonight’s present paled compared to KBS’s pageant final week. It was a downgrade in each manner. SBS hardly ever places on my favourite of the three gayos, so I suppose that’s to be anticipated. At the least we had the return of some big-name acts to brighten up the finales of components two and three.
Songs like Pink Hoodie are the explanation I’m hardly ever capable of get into aespa’s albums past the title tracks. They’re simply not for me. Additionally, I want SM would discover a approach to completely reinterpret Supernova for considered one of these year-end reveals.
But extra proof that this group’s stage presence far outstrips their materials. I discover Drip fairly uninteresting as a track, however they carried out the hell out of it. Let’s get them some higher songs, YG.
This complete factor felt extremely awkward. I don’t actually know what they have been going for, nevertheless it was a bizarre mixture of concepts that didn’t come collectively, and “Fairy Story Of Sneakers” is an unintentionally humorous title, translated or not. Had been they making an attempt to capitalize on the success of Depraved? Heesung’s dance was the particular vibrant spot, in order that’s the one I’m linking within the title.
I don’t suppose I’ll ever like Ditto the way in which others do, nevertheless it was good to listen to it stripped again to a extra acoustic model. In the meantime, I don’t get the enchantment of Cookie in any respect. It was a wierd option to carry out a bunch of 2022 songs on the 2024 Gayo Daejun.
I’m truthfully nonetheless reeling from their unbelievable KBS efficiency, however this was an enormous letdown as compared. Kudos for mixing up the instrumental, however this model robbed Plot Twist of all its indelible vitality. My least favourite remix of the track by far.
10. ZEROBASEONE – Highway Film + Good So Unhealthy
Justice for Highway Film! They get bonus factors simply performing that track. Disgrace in regards to the underwhelming mixture of Good So Unhealthy, although.
9. Stray Children – Walkin On Water + Mountains
I don’t care a lot for both of those songs, however they placed on a superb present and utilized the stage effectively in contrast to most acts tonight. The haircut appears to be the most important speaking level of this efficiency, although!
8. ENHYPEN – XO + Introduced The Warmth Again
Very stable. I like that they’re selling Introduced The Warmth Again at these festivals. The slight change within the combine labored effectively and the dancing was on level as at all times.
7. RIIZE – Love 119
What a superb transfer to open this efficiency with a little bit of Emergency Room, which varieties the backdrop for Love 119. I want this intro would have lasted longer, because it was good to listen to the blokes’ vocals with no bunch of manufacturing behind them. The remainder of the efficiency was fairly commonplace aside from a cool breakdown that didn’t actually match the track. General, this was a bizarre one.
6. TYD – Love Me Proper
I used to be trying ahead to this stage as a result of I’m a sucker for these “youngest members get collectively to indicate you the way it’s accomplished” performances. It was enjoyable seeing them collectively, however I wanted extra of Kyungmin’s voice as a result of that boy is a singer and he’d kill this style.
5. G-Dragon – Energy + Crooked
, I’d love to position this larger on my checklist. It will get ranked solely as a result of Crooked is among the greatest Ok-pop songs ever and G-Dragon is a complete legend, however I discover the stay performances of Energy to be extremely awkward and the vocal on Crooked was tough… to say the least. I do know that’s intentional and singing isn’t the talent GD’s most identified for (although at his greatest he has considered one of my favourite tones), however this was actually simply screeching and acquired by on the unbelievable vitality of the track and his pure charisma. Given the circumstances, this could have been a straightforward primary.
4. BOYNEXTDOOR – It’s Starting To Look A Lot Like Christmas + Good Man
The dance with Santa was in all probability the freakiest factor on this “Merry and Freaky Christmas” night time. It was legitimately humorous and Good Man truly works fairly effectively with sleigh bells. This stage wasn’t notably bold, nevertheless it was very charming.
3. LE SSERAFIM – Loopy
I completely liked the dance intro to this. From the styling (have been these creepy Santa masks?) to the descent from the ceiling to the prolonged formations, this was so entertaining. The vitality continued into a good clubbier mixture of Loopy. This was nice.
2. Key – Pleasure Store
Why the hell was this stage combine not the principle manufacturing for Pleasure Store as an alternative of the uninteresting H&M-lite model we acquired saddled with? Critically, the track is 100 instances extra fascinating this fashion, even when the underlying melodies are nonetheless forgettable. He must lean onerous into this extra dynamic dance sound.
1. 2NE1 – Hearth + I Don’t Care + Ugly + I Am The Finest
These outdated songs simply hit totally different, and it’s not solely my nostalgia speaking. 2NE1 are charisma with a capital “C” and so they roared again with that very same vitality. Two hours into the present, I believe they have been the primary act to genuinely interact the viewers. The hits sounded nice, the women regarded superb and the staging was dynamic. I already knew I’d love this comeback, however they exceeded expectations.