[Review][Single] Jewelry “Look at Me”

Many K-Pop groups have experienced dramatic member shake-ups over the years, but none of them do member changes quite likeJewelry. Founded over ten years ago, the group has the distinction of the longest-lasting girl group in K-Pop, which seems impressive. However, that distinction is in name only, as the entire original lineup and half of the second generation have left. Two current members,EunjungandJooyeon(also known asBaby J), were added in 2008 and participated in that year’s big hit, the quirky “One More Time“. In 2011, we met the lineup that we know today with “Back it Up“. This song found some success, but was not nearly as big as “One More Time“. Their second 2011 single, “Pass“, was even less successful, and many considered it the beginning of the end for the group.

On October 11, Jewelry came back with “Look at Me“, but is anyone looking? Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that way.

The song isn’tbad, necessarily, but it feels kind of sloppy, and the MV is a mess of incongruous images, poorly thought-out costuming, and overdone dancing. The first few scenes in which Eunjung waves lipstick in front of her face seem like a setup for a comedy, but make no sense in context with the generic, hot-girls-dance-in-random-rooms concept of the rest of the video.

As Jewelry slowly loses their audience, their demands that we look at them start to feel like begging, and that’s unfortunate. The singers’ voices are too similar to give the song texture and contrast, and there aren’t any big, shining vocal moments to latch on to. Jooyeon, whose rap skills should be able to bring some color to the song, is relegated to a standard, uninteresting rap break that could have been so much more. There’s not a lot for me to highlight or talk about because the song is, ultimately, pretty generic. As if this weren’t bad enough, former Jewelry memberSeo In Youngjust started her comeback stages with the much more interesting and creative “Let’s Dance“, leaving the current generation of Jewelry to pale in comparison.

“Look at Me” was written byShinsadong Tiger,Rado, andLEofEXID, and I think it’s telling that EXID didn’t record this song themselves. “Look at Me” isn’t terrible, but itisboring, and that’s a much bigger sin in the world of pop music.

What are your thoughts on Jewelry′s single “Look At Me”? Leave an honest rating and your thoughts in the comments below.

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Reviewer's Rating:(3.4 / 5)

Community Rating: 

(88votes, average:3.89out of 5)