K-pop Goes February: Day 19- f(x)

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend (Dad, for reference, this was a meme song in the 2010s, I’m not having a breakdown). We’re onto another girl group, and another SM one at that. Today, gays and theys, it’s f(x).

Who are f(x)?

As mentioned, f(x) were a five-member girl group formed by SM Entertainment (who we all know at this point) in 2009. Luckily the name is just pronounced as ‘f x’, though the explanation of their name on Wikipedia says something about maths and formulas changing depending on values. As we all know, maths is disgusting, so I’m just going to leave that there and accept it as another confusing K-pop name for something. F(x) are apparently known for a dancey, electronic pop sound, which, to be fair, is kind of you could describe most of K-pop. They have had recognition from the likes of Billboard and the South by Southwest festival (they were the first K-pop act to perform at the latter), which gives some idea of their level of success.

There are two reasons why I personally know of f(x), though I’ve never listened. One is that, as a girl group, they have one member, Amber, who is always styled in an androgynous, or often tomboyish fashion. Her hair is short, and her outfits are not revealing. In the world of K-pop girl groups, hell, girl groups in general, dressing in a less overtly ‘pleasing to the male gaze’ fashion is nothing short of revolutionary. Not that I’m saying she doesn’t look awesome, or that girls who dress in the typical styles are asking for male attention. It’s just lovely to see a woman not dressed in the hotpants and crop tops uniform that erodes your own body confidence after a while. Sue me.

Sadly, the second reason I know of f(x) is because of another member, Sulli. In October 2019, Sulli died by suicide, after suffering from depression and being the victim of intense cyberbullying. Many interpreted the hate towards her as a result of her being bold and outspoken in her views, particularly against the conservative attitudes towards women in South Korea. It’s horrifically sad that her life ended in this way, and as a person, she honestly sounded like the kind of woman I like- forward thinking and anti-conservative. I hope she is resting now, and I look forward to seeing what her and her group have to offer.

The First Song

In September 2009, f(x) released their first single, which appears to be stylised as LA chA TA. I guess listening will explain what that means.

OK I listened. The LA chA TA playing with capitals seems to be to show emphasis in the chorus’s key refrain, so I guess I get it? Never mind really, as the song was a solid little bop, a lot better than the other first songs by second gen girl groups have been (that I’ve heard). There’s a natural sense of confidence to the whole song, echoed in the sass of this three-beat flourish of “la cha ta”. The synths are quietly sparkling away in the background, keeping a rhythm that never hypes itself out, allowing the girls to play with extending different parts of the rhythm over the beat. I especially liked the layering of the chorus and Amber’s rapping in the final part of the song, as it was well structured rather than busy, building the song to a virtuoso climax. Also, shout out to the number of accessories deemed necessary here. Very 2009.

Five of the Big Hits

Yes, I used Reddit for this again. They know their stuff. The clear front-running songs in f(x)’s back catalogue were Rum Pum Pum and Electric Shock, and I chose Pinocchio (Danger), Red Light and 4 Walls from the other suggestions.

I began with Rum Pum Pum, and right out of the gate I loved this song. It’s got a militaristic drum beat, a funky bassline, and canon singing, all in the first verse! The chorus’s chant of “rum pum pum” is beautifully harmonised, and I love that the song keeps the melody in the pretty much just the bass guitar and the voices. The tune itself isn’t going for the usual happy notes and progressions of bubble-gum pop- it continuously veers up and down in directions you don’t expect. What a song. Electric Shock is more standard in its electro stylings, with the jagged, spiking synths backing an archetypal second gen hype song. The build in the pre-chorus is still effective, and the hooks of the chorus are just so solid that there’s no way they couldn’t work. It’s not Rum Pum Pum, but it’s a solid dance tune.

Red Light is similar in this way. Beginning with a singular, scratchy synth noise to underscore the girls’ voice, the song slowly brings in the layers, before kicking straight up to a pulsing chorus full of attitude and beautifully layered singing. I’m noticing in all of these songs that everything is so well distributed: there is just the right beat at the right time, the right progressions for the right amount of time, the right amount of instrumentation balanced with voices. It’s probably got something to do with SM having access to all the best tools in the business, but the girls play their part too: I’m so far not nervous at all for how well they’ll carry anything.

Pinocchio (Danger) is less exciting to me, straying less from pop music formulas than the other hits I’ve tried. Again, there’s nothing here to dislike (aside from hints of the child voice affectation I despise so much), as it’s well done electronica. But, after the others, it doesn’t stay with me. I initially thought the same about the most recent of these five picks, 2015’s 4 Walls (maybe this explains why Danger did the least for me- it’s the oldest on the list). The verses are standard, paced groove, but that chorus, hell yeah. When it hits, it’s almost full 90s house, with the repetition of “walls” in the “four walls” refrain adding another layer that plays with the beat and backdrop gleefully. Amber’s rap also sits comfortably in this song, adding a punch to the rhythm that again makes the mood of the overall piece more complex. This song could have been released in the early nineties in New York and become a cult hit. It’s clever, as so many of f(x)’s songs seem to be. I’m really enjoying this.

The Latest Song

This may well turn out to be the last song from f(x), since all members have ended their contracts with SM as of 2020, and the last reunion of the group was with only three members. The song is All Mine, from 2016, and it’s worth noting that the group were already a four piece at this point (and for 4 Walls) as Sulli left the group in 2015. This track is purest 2010s EDM, with the gradual, soft build to the euphoric drop and thumping piano/synth mix of the chorus. Again, it’s not necessarily anything you haven’t heard before, but it is a damn good version of it. The video highlights the happiness sewn into the song’s melodies by having each member lip sync along with a hand-held camera, often while dancing along or just larking about. If it’s the last single from f(x), it’s them going out with their arms open and their voices lifted in joy. Also, it has a lovely little key change for the last chorus: we always stan a key change.

The Latest Album

A group apparently famed for their preference for studio albums over K-pop’s preferred format of the EP, unsurprisingly, the latest such release from f(x) is 2015’s album 4 Walls. I’ll just start up top by saying this: wow. Every single song in this album has potential as a single in its own right, from catchy pop (Papi) to hip-hop collaborations with rapper Zico (Traveler) and full-on house bangers (Rude Love). I am so impressed.

4 Walls opens the album, and the next track is Glitter. Classic mid-tempo bright pop, I enjoy how the melody leads the rhythm of the track in the verses, and how the beat is constructed from the more informal single drum and strumming guitar for the majority of the time. And the delicately descending triple refrain of Glitter at the end of the chorus is a glorious, camp little touch. Déjà vu follows, and sounds like the absolute peak of stomping synth that f(x) were doing with Electric Shock. Again, Amber’s rap is charismatic and adds to the song’s personality. X takes a slower, groovier approach, with a wonderful, low hook driving the sass of the lyrics forward. Rude Love, as mentioned, throws itself fully into thudding house piano and big, floating sounds. It’s absolutely fantastic.

Diamond proves that this is clearly a great name to give a K-pop song (see T-ara’s review yesterday). Adding some low brass into the mix to add an extra flavour, the song actually slows the beat slightly for the chorus, stripping the melody back for maximum effect. Traveler lets a shivering synth quietly pulse under rapper ZICO (not an f(x) member, another guy)’s verses, which seemingly blend into the member’s vocals. The auto-drum beat is simple, allowing the song to lay the skills of its participants out fully. That it blends so well together is evidence of how good this song is.

Following this is Papi, another display of confidence over fizzing, popping synths, chorus brass and shout-singing chants. It’s cast-iron pop and I love it. Cash Me Out is probably the least impressive song here, just because it feels a bit more standard than the others, though I still enjoy how fully the music embraces the members and lets loose in the chorus for classic dance break music. The album closes with When I’m Alone, which was apparently originally written by Carly Rae Jepsen (interestingly, Cash Me Out is a cover of one of Swedish artist Zara Larsson’s EP tracks). I can feel a slightly retro element to the song that may come from her, like something anthemic from the mid to late eighties. Echoing beats, sprinkling keyboards, and euphoric choruses with lovely little melodic twists all help to achieve this. It’s another version of the ‘finish the album with a big stadium song’ standard I’ve noticed in K-pop albums and Eps, but this may be the most accomplished version of it I’ve heard yet.

Thoughts?

I love f(x). That’s my thoughts. Bloody hell these girls are good. Right out the gate, the debut was pretty strong, and I found something to like in all of their hits. And the album? Maybe even the best part! These women are talented vocalists, and their songs are watertight in their construction and fun factor. They seem to act as a more edgy, or alternative, option to the bright uniformity of Girls’ Generation, the other girl group from their company active at the same time. Like their upstart little sisters. It’s a pair of siblings I like the sound of. At this point I am again berating myself for not knowing them earlier, and will be righting this wrong immediately. F(x), I stan.