Mamamoo (brief history of)
Happy birthday to me! It was a couple weeks ago, but I got an early present when Mamamoo dropped their new track, "Egotistic." This MV follows in the footsteps of their previous releases, which they filmed on location in New Zealand. The production value of the new video is markedly high, featuring exotic settings lush with tropical plants. The fiery ending closes a circle opened by the acoustic Latin guitar. This does not seem to be the same Mamamoo from last year!
Actually, maybe not. Like all groups, Mamamoo evolves over time. But what sets this group apart from other girl groups, their vocals, has been at the top since their debut. No other girl group attempts the harmonies these women drop effortlessly. The blues-funk style of "Mr. Ambiguous" hearkens back to the catchy melodies of classic girl groups like the Vandellas. Their followup, "Piano Man," took them further into jazz. Appropriately, they embraced ad-libs into their live shows. For them, 2014 was a breakout year. They also collaborated with Esna, a talented Korean-American singer who has embraced the American music styles of jazz and R&B. Their next year saw the release of "Um Ah Oh Yeh," Mamamoo's first straight-up pop single. Their 2016 followup, Melting, was their first full length album, featuring their first #1 single, "You're the Best." This track once again brought together a retro rock feel, sweet harmonies, and strong vocals. In general, this album is excellent. It includes a good mix of jazz and R&B and rock, plus the quirky track, "Taller than You." Personally, I turned into a Moomoo once I heard "Girl Crush." It's such a catchy, jazzy track that I can't help but sing along. Towards the end of 2016, Mamamoo released Memory, a short album with jazz influence in much of its tracklist. Consider the featured single, "Decalcomanie," whose MV includes samples from the title track "Memory." Yes, for the most part it sounds like a ballad. But do you hear the double-time feel during the rap verse? That's a shuffle! This album is beautiful, filled with sweet down-tempo tracks and a couple faster, funkier songs. It really set the perfect stage for their 2017 release, Purple. This marks the first of (so-far) three color-themed albums. The MV tracks from Purple are the funky pop single "Yes I Am" and the comic track "AZE GAG." These basically cemented their "badass women" image. Remarkably, this album featured the first solo song by Moonbyul on a record. Moonbyul is a talented singer, maybe not as strong as Solar, but we will hear more of her melodies--and raps--in the year to come. Yellow Flower was their release at the beginning of 2018, with THREE MV's: "Paint Me," "Star Wind Flower Sun," and "Starry Night." This release really marks a new era for Mamamoo. Not only are their MVs taking them to new heights in production value and new locales in geography, the group's image has taken a serious evolution. This persists through Red Moon, their recent release. As mentioned earlier, this features the Latin-themed "Egotistic," but also a Moonbyul solo featuring Seulgi from Red Velvet. Worlds collide!
This has been a brief history of Mamamoo. Who knows what the future holds in store for this talented group? I hope more interactions with my other top 3. The fact that Moonbyul and Seulgi are friends encourages me. So after Purple, Yellow Flower, and Red Moon, what comes next? Blue Sun? White Wind?
For me, I'm about to write a proper album review of Red Moon as I've spent enough time digesting it. Stay tuned!
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Seriously, they release new MV's a lot, including many of the B-sides. These are all pretty good, and they highlight the girls' more playful side at times. These chicks are beagles! I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, though! There are also solo releases from each individual, each with a unique MV.
Mamamoo is the best. 2017 was Red Velvet's year, and they are still riding strong. 2018 is Mamamoo's year and they won't stop. Now EXID needs a hot streak! #top3