Review: 4minute - Hate

Continuing the trend not being able to embed the actual mv.....

Here's the link to the actual MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_F9HUTYnl0

4minute are back and boy is the hype too fucking real or what

I was praying to holy heaven above that this comeback would live up to the awesomeness that was Crazy and well..... I have to say I am like 90% satisfied so far. 

My relationship with 4minute has definitely been a mixed one. At first I didn't really like their songs too much, and Hyuna's solo stuff was fairly uninteresting to me as well. Volume Up really changed that perception for me though, but then... BRAVESOUND UH HUH ---- 2013 and 2014 were not good years for 4minute. Watcha' doin and that other one were like ???? pls give me back volume up 4minute tyvm

Song: 

Thank goodness I come back to kpop and Crazy had already been released and absolutely KILLING it. It stayed on repeat for many many days... And now I have the perfect replacement! 

Hate is an absolute edm-dubstep-hard-as-fuck banger that PERFECTLY suits 4minute. They are the definition of confident, capable ladies who can turn the fuck up at a party and still go to work the next day without the slightest hint of a hangover. Basically, 4minute are at their best when they are destroying us with these kinds of songs, and Hate does not disappoint.

badass bitches

I'll admit, the first time I listened to this I was very very confused by the drop... and it does sound just a BIT like electronic farting. BUT BUT I got over it. I liken the experience to listening to Red Light or I Got a Boy (still hate that song, but a lot of people say they like it after a few listens) - you'll be very very confused by some element of the song (the structure/coherence for Red Light, the drop for this), but it gets awesome after you get used to it. And now that I'm on my 5th listen, I can already feel the urge to just bang my head to that drop. 

Not to mention the rest of the song is top NOTCH. Gayoon's vocals were the perfect "slow start fakeout", and once Hyuna starts rapping and the "wub wubs" start kicking in, you know we in for that hella hype build up. Jihyun gets the next part and she was great, but it's really Sohyun's little prechorus bit that actually sold the song for me. The production on her vocals to make it all distorted and staticky was awesome. And of course, the rest is history. 

Jiyoon looking sexy as fuck

A huge improvement over Crazy for me was the lack of a jarring bridge. As much as I love Jihyun, I just could not get behind the slow down and monotony of that bridge. Fortunately, Hate does not have this particular oversight, so while the bridge does slow down, it has Hyuna's rap instead to build into the final chorus. 

Last thing about the song: y'all should listen to the instrumental, it's pretty fucking good. I never thought I'd say this, but thank you Skrillex. Did you know Skrillex produced this song? It definitely sounds closer to his old material than his new stuff w/ Justin Beiber and Jack U, but it actually worked out nicely.

Rating: 8/10

Dance:

The dance was pretty fucking dope, from the bits of it that we see in the video. Similar to Crazy, but also improved from what I can tell. Lots of movement and pointing and general badassery. I already said this, but I love Sohyun's little bit before the chorus with her hips shaking to the music and by herself. It really felt like a call to just get the fuck up and do whatever. I'm too lazy to gif this, but it's from 1:02 to about 1;11 (basically her entire part before the chorus) and omg that was just so amazing.

The dance shots in the chorus were really nice too. Lots of aggressive lunges back and forth which suits the title of the song. I think they're singing about an ex-lover of some sort that they just absolutely hate? Gayoon says "liar liar liar" at the beginning of the song so

Rating: 7/10

MV:

Just your standard sexy shots interspersed with dancing music video. A great variety of scenes, from Gayoon in the garden to Hyuna in the desert to Jihyun w/ the thread (??) to Sohyun at the wall, and then Jiyoon with the clock (??). I'm not too sure to be honest. Not a plot video though. No intellectual challenges either, like with Sting. Honestly, the girls look great and the cinematography is on point so I have nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave about either.

Rating: 5.5/10

Styling:

Ooh they look fantastic here. Most Improved award definitely goes to Gayoon, thank the lord she ditched those fucking pants and the nike headband oh my god. Did you know she was the one who did the styling for Crazy? How the fuck did she manage to make everyone else look amazing in that video but give herself the dumb looking shit?? Does she really hate herself that much?? Love her dress in this though. Hyuna's sunglasses are hilarious but suit her tbh. Jiyoon looks great in all back leather (as expected) and I think her rapping was nice too. 

Rating:  7/10

Overall: 8/10

Awesome, great work done all around. Look out for this song at my end of the year list, I'm already feelin it.