February Face-Off: Girls' Generation vs. 2NE1

The two top girl groups in South Korea (and possibly the world) both released their music near the end of February, sparking a whole lot of interest as well as setting a competitive edge in the K-Pop world whether this was intentional or even wanted. �Of course Girls' Generation ("Mr.Mr") and 2NE1 ("Come Back Home") are vastly different in style and feel, but how did they end up satisfying or dissatisfying the crowd?

Check out reviewers eric-r-wirsing, joora, and joy-k as they take on the challenge of comparing the two top groups in various categories on their respective long-awaited comebacks!

eric-r-wirsing

MUSIC

This is a tough call. "Mr.Mr" and "Come Back Home" are two great songs in very different styles. "Mr.Mr" is an eminently danceable club banger built around a tortured synth riff. "Come Back Home" is more pleading and pensive with a hard EDM line in the chorus. I love both of these songs and "Mr.Mr" is one of the best songs that I've heard from Girl's Generation thus far. My main problem, upon repeated listens, is that "Mr.Mr" loses its way around 3 minutes in, but I don't get that feeling with "Come Back Home." 2NE1 wins the music category, but only by a hair.

Winner: 2NE1

MV

"Come Back Home" is very cyberpunk, techno-stylish with some of the best effects I have seen in a music video. The world depicted in the MV has a sort of neo-Bladerunner feel to it. According to YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun Suk, the plot of the video is a commentary on our society. Everyone's in love with their cellphones to the point they prefer to spend time interacting with a glowing screen than with other humans. The plot is pretty clear from the start:�Dara is jilted by her boyfriend for a "virtual paradise," so the girls set out to unplug everyone and destroy the virtual world. A daring concept that works extremely well.�

Girl's Generation's "Mr.Mr" MV is a mixed bag. It seemed slapdash, with scenes thrown in there willy-nilly. I'm not sure if there was a plot or not before the editor chopped it up and sutured it back together (also considering the "data loss"). There's some vague hospital thing going on interspersed with dancing scenes and the color tone shifts from color to black-and-white seemingly at random. While the dancing and choreography are fairly top-notch, the overall effect of the whole thing is confusing. My feeling at the end: "That's it?"

Throwing more cash doesn't always mean better quality, but in this case 2NE1 outspent and outdid Girl's Generation.�

Winner: 2NE1

PERFORMANCE

The performances from Girl's Generation and 2NE1 are like day and night. Girl's Generation are nice and polite - very clean and skillful, but not very interesting. Slight smiles, less energy. The video for "Mr.Mr," quite frankly, is more fun to watch, despite the chaotic feel. The girls of 2NE1 stride like queens on stage, belting their vocals and letting you feel the performance. They looked like they are having fun, like they'd be exhausted after giving it their all. Which is what I want to see. Girl's Generation just seem like they were inhibited and restrained. I have to give this category to 2NE1.

Winner: 2NE1

joora

Music

Under this category, I will be focusing mainly on the singles in order to keep the section short.�Girls' Generation and 2NE1 each boast a unique set of vocals. However, I noticed that during�the MV and live performances of "Mr.Mr," the bulk of the singing parts (particularly the refrain�and bridge) were allotted to�Seohyun, Taeyeon, and�Tiffany. The harmonization was perfect�as usual but besides the above three girls, the rest of the members barely got solo parts�(Did�Hyoyeon�even get to sing?). On the other hand, in "Come Back Home", each member�had proportionately equal singing parts. This allowed me to judge the members' vocal skills�separately instead of as a whole. Hearing 2NE1's voices individually allowed me to appreciate�the immense improvement of�CL�and�Minzy's vocals. Overall, the vocals for both groups were great�but I wish other members in Girls' Generation sang more.�

As for the tracks on each group's album,�2NE1 definitely brought more to the table this time with a more diverse set of tunes. Even tracks I didn't much like upon first listen (such as "Happy") have grown on me and I find myself repeating every song. Not so much with Girls' Generation. The�group didn't experiment with different genres like�2NE1 did, something I find a little disappointing (a voice like Tiffany's seems just so fitting for an�R&B/soul track).

Hence, track-wise, I choose 2NE1 without the batting of an eyelash.�

Winner: 2NE1

MV

This category is an easy pick for me. Hands down, 2NE1 has the better MV and I don't say�this because I'm a Blackjack, SONE, Directioner, Jaywalker, or whatever you want to call it. I�don't care. What I do care about in a music video is the creativity and originality of not�just production but also plot - one that is compelling and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the plot�should play out in a manner that is easily graspable and comprehensible to the viewers. Girls'�Generation's video for "Mr.Mr" did contain creative production (the vintage-looking sets and�outfits), but the editing was a bit skewed, leaving the audience wondering what happened.�Sure, the girls all look fabulous, but that's really about it. Where's the story? What exactly�are they all doing in an ER dressed to impress? Why are they holding surgical tools they're�never going to use? Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose I am asking too much of�SM�by�demanding a plot-driven music video for Girls' Generation (sigh).�

On the flip side, "Come Back Home" encompasses both creative storyline that makes sense�and outstanding production (videography, editing, graphics, sets, costumes). The scenes take�place in a 'virtual paradise' which takes hostage of people's consciousness, steals them from�reality and ultimately replaces their perception of it with an artificial version. The people who�choose 'paradise' over reality are presumably happier in their new world but that happiness�is not real and only fleeting. In actuality, they are as good as dead, especially to their loved�ones in real life who can offer them true happiness. This plot is compelling because the video�is alluding to modern society's obsession with different forms of virtual paradise (i.e.�electronic devices and games), which are in many instances used to escape reality.�

Because�2NE1 creatively addressed both plot and production, they deserve the better MV merit.�

Winner: 2NE1

Performance

This category was a bit more difficult to come to a decision, mainly because both Girls'�Generation and 2NE1 are such seasoned performers. Girls' Generation have been in the pop music industry�since 2007 and 2NE1 since 2009. No one can deny that they are talented artists. So where�does the line of distinction come in? For the recent comeback, 2NE1 demonstrated that they�improved their vocals. Minzy and CL's voices sounded so powerful and emotional in the live�performance of "If I Were You." CL in particular seemed to be experiencing the pain described�in the song�which she wrote herself, by the way�when she sang it (were those tears I saw�in her eyes?).�

However, 2NE1's choreography left something more to be�desired. Girls' Generation delivered better choreography than 2NE1, even though some moves looked a bit�awkward�for example, when the members adjust the invisible watch on their wrists and also�when they do the weird jazz hands. But at least that's more creative than just running in place�and using a hand gesture that is normally used to beckon at your pet or a child.�

Therefore,�Girls' Generation takes this category as their choreography is more original.�

Winner: Girls' Generation

joy-k

FASHION

In terms of the fashion concept, I think 2NE1 takes this round with their latest�

comeback. Although I am a fan of Girls' Generation's "Mr. Mr" music video, their�

live stage outfits were a little disappointing, especially after their strong visual

presence in their previous promotions with "I Got a Boy." I thought each girl's make-

up looked flawless in the music video�however, in terms of fashion they played it�

safe by opting with matching suits, a concept that we've seen before in the past. On�

the contrary, 2NE1 came back stronger than ever, at least in terms of fashion. From�

CL's coat to Dara's blue hair, they really demonstrated exactly why they're leaders�

in the industry. 2NE1 has never gone for the matchy-matchy look, but rather�

preferred expressing their individuality through their outfits, which is what appeals to me most�about this group. All in all, both Girls' Generation and 2NE1 are looking great, and I�look forward following their promotions!

Winner: 2NE1