Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Say Yes is a band I’ve previously not payed any attention to simply because I’ve never heard of them before. Surprisingly to me, the digital single “I Miss You” is not their debut, but their fifth release, and I am certainly happy this one did not pass me by.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPBZ2Um1YQ
What immediately drew me to this single is that it’s a nicely done power ballad, something that was heavily popular in the 80s and hasn’t seen much light of day since falling out of popularity. It’s definitely got a Korean flair to it, as it starts off with a nice piano melody, beautiful strings, and a quiet verse. This could mislead someone into thinking it will end up being a stereotypical Korean ballad. That is until it opens into the dramatic chorus that has all the staples of a power ballad that I love, including a closing wailing guitar riff.
The vocals are pretty, and while I enjoyed this track, this is probably the biggest downfall of the song. I think if it was performed a bit grittier, perhaps by someone with more depth and richness to their voice, it would’ve fit the script better and driven this home to being a slam dunk. The vocalist sounds like many of the idol singers we hear, which is not always a bad thing, but it does leave something to desire in memorability and the overall sentiment. The song is by no means unsuccessful because of the vocal performance, but at the very least he could’ve pushed himself to be less “clean” in delivery to compensate for that.
The music video is definitely cheesy with very simple and shallow imagery. The girl is there, but not really. They are sad. They search for her. They tear up when they realize she’s really gone. There’s bubbles for aesthetics while the pretty girl smiles in the field because maybe she died or something. Whatever.
What was more interesting to me were the shots of the group performing, as they came off appropriately theatrical and passionate.
Oh, and by the way, this?
Yeah, this we’re not talking about. I refuse to acknowledge that this exists. Nope. Not today, ‘Taeyang Satan.’
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Say Yes have peaked my curiosity with this release and now I’m wondering what the rest of their other singles sound like. The vocals might not be gritty enough for me, but I can forgive it for the stagy melodies and emotion-filled gestures. Besides, if there’s any market a power ballad could still thrive in, it’s in Korea.
