Girl group Miss A made their comeback with a mini-album titled "Independent Women Part 3" released on October 15th. Their title track for the mini-album is called "I Don't Need a Man," and the album name plays homage to female group Destiny's Child single, "Independent Women." The mini-album contains a total of five tracks. Track "Madness" features Taecyeon from 2pm, while the composer of Pixie Lott's "Mama Do," Phil Thornalley also contributed to the album's production. Unlike Destiny's Child's concept of being affluent and unaffected in "Independent Women," Miss A placed their own twist into "I Don't Need a Man." The girls sing about being independent through hard work and not having to depend on their parents. Though they may just be getting by, they are still happy and proud of not having to depend on anyone (especially a male). The song is more pop-y and bright than the fierce and R&B vibe I expected, but the rap parts and "What? Really?" clips in the chorus bring personality to the song. Written and composed by JYP, the song is catchy, fun, and has traits of their usual punky style, but it's not as strong a title song as previous releases like "Bad Girl Good Girl" or "Touch." "Good Girl Bad Girl" was the debut track that defined their athletic, tomboyish yet sassy vibe, while "Touch" unveiled a more feminine, vulnerable side. Even "Goodbye Baby" made a stronger impression with its tougher choreography and heavy beats. For girls talking about working diligently to not need a man, their interpretation of it isn't so impressive.
At their level of popularity, their agency should have made a stronger comeback. It's JYP Entertainment, for goodness sake. They're basically the third largest entertainment company in South Korea, and usually the most fortright when it comes to showing an Americanized style. The song felt too playful and flirty for me to take them seriously, especially when the chorus sounds more pretty than determined. The dance choreography was too relaxed and mediocre, while their outfits looked quite plain and boring. It's typical for JYPE artists to have more simple and casual style concepts than other K-Pop artists, but the stylists are really starting to become lazy. There's nothing new or interesting about their outfits, nor does it make a statement. I paid attention to a total of two outfits; Suzy's open plaid shirt over black shorts, which made her look pretty yet tomboyish, and Jia's t-shirt and princess tutu get-up, which contrasts with her tough-girl look, making her look meek and unnatural. I wish they would've dressed in boyish, ripped clothing and rocked some 'tude instead. Instead, Min's rapid hand-spooning movement looked tacky, while Jia's body roll accompanied by the fluffy dog cracked me up. They were trying so hard to look like they didn't care about diamonds and gifts that it ended up looking more humorous than fierce. Then again, the song isn't meant to sound tough to tough or mature, so I guess it works.
Listen to the tracks from mini-album "Independent Women Part 3" below:
1. Miss A "I Don't Need a Man" MV (Eng Sub)
2. "Ma Style"
3. "If I Were a Boy"
4. "Madness" ft. 2pm's Taecyeon
I commend Miss A for always singing live on stage, but sometimes they omit too many parts of the chorus. This has happened in basically all of their previous songs, and I always wonder if maybe it's because they only have four members in their group or if they too easily run out of breath. Suzy and Fei is usually the weak link when it comes to singing live, just because they tend to start running out of breath and look tired halfway through the performance. As a junior girl group and the only girl group aside from Wonder Girls in JYPE, I think Miss A and their agency really need to step it up and give their audiences something new.
Miss A "I Don't Need a Man" Comeback Stage M! Countdown (121018)
Miss A "I Don't Need a Man" on SBS Inkigayo (121021)
Miss A "I Don't Need a Man" on KBS Love Request (121020)
Miss A "I Don't Need a Man" SBS Inkigayo (121104)
Other News:
All four members of Miss A made a guest appearance on Immortal Song 2 performing Bae Ho's hit "Last Leaf" in November 24th. Though I never heard the song before, Miss A's performance made me a fan of the remixed song. What really sold the performance for me was how incredibly edgy and fierce they looked and acted on stage. Member parts were evenly distributed throughout the song, vocals remained steady, their gazes radiated strength, and their dancing never lacked energy. I couldn't help comparing the song to "I Don't Need a Man," which though is catchy and fun, lacks sassy attitude so characteristic in their other hit songs. Though typical, their black leather and lace outfits looked way more glamorous than their uninspiring matching blazer and shorts get-up from "I Don't Need a Man."
Immortal Song 2 Miss A "Last Leaf" Live Cover (121124)
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