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Preface: Thanks for making this section and giving me the opportunity to rant on and on about how Into The New World is my favorite SNSD song!
I love almost all of SNSD's songs, but SNSD's ballads are my favorite. I would say they're some of the best in the industry. Some of my favorites are Complete, Mistake, How Great Is Your Love, All My Love Is For You, Born To Be A Lady, Time Machine, and, more recently, Everyday Love. You could argue that these songs can't fully be classified as ballads, and I would agree with you. SNSD's ballads are different from much of the sorrowful, nostalgic, heartbreaking ballads we see in K-pop. Instead, SNSD's ballads mix in the group's signature liveliness and incorporate a hope for happiness, for love. They are generally more upbeat, have livelier percussion backgrounds, and feature lighter melodies. Last but certainly not least, who could forget the sweet, clear and resounding voices of our nine angels?
I've thought for a very long time which of SNSD's ballads is the best, and I have to give it to Into The New World. Again, I'm not even sure we can call it a ballad. From a lyrical perspective, it seems like one, but its exciting melodies and hopeful message expands beyond the ballad theme and into a more pop rock style. Admittedly, I am not that big a fan of SNSD's catchy title tracks, because they're a little too flashy and a little too upbeat for casual, peaceful listening as I'm doing work. Ballads are better, but I think Into The New World really gets the balance right between the slow, sad extreme and the pacy, cheerful end. In terms of its rhythm and power, it really pushes the boundary of what a ballad can be, but it doesn't break into the K-pop trap of producing hyper upbeat and super catchy songs.
Don't get me wrong, other SNSD ballads like How Great Is Your Love and Mistake get the balance right, too. And in all honesty, I think they all come fairly close. I felt that Into The New World was a notch above the rest because it attempted to do more. It features strong vocals, with significant involvement from our Taeyeon and Seohyun, and it involves nine distinct voices in the chorus (actually, I can't actually tell if they are actually all singing). I also love how the song builds up from start to end. Notice how the introduction is light, and layers of instruments are added. We culminate in the chorus, but even after the chorus, the build-up doesn't stop. The ending adds even more to the chorus, and the entire song ends on our Kid Leader's powerful note and a wish to enter into a new world. (You may notice that this pattern is similar to the progression of Mistake.)
Lyric-wise, well, I'm not going to insist that it has a better meaning or message or poetic value than SNSD's other ballads, but I think it does an excellent job of matching the light and upbeat melody. Furthermore, the theme is perfect for a debut song, don't you think?
As a debut song, I think SNSD's Into The New World exemplifies how rookie groups should begin. I am not planning to hate on any other girl group, but I am not a fan of the flashy and somewhat arrogant debut pieces presented by newer artists. I think this upbeat ballad is an excellent embodiment of SNSD's modest and cheerful attitude.
And, I haven't even mentioned the MV. I want to focus on reviewing the song, but I think the MV only adds to the enjoyment. The group's synchronization and friendship and spirits are all presented in a story of hard work and eventual success. I can't find any flaws in this respect.
I know that this isn't everyone's favorite song, but I know of none who explicitly detest this song. It's not their most successful song, but I feel it represents SNSD's career and , to an extent, our feelings as SONEs in this dream of more than six years. Thank you, Girls' Generation, for creating such a beautiful song, and thank for continuing to do so.
9.9/10.0
Edited by ImY, 09 February 2014 - 05:30 PM.
