[Single Review] BIGBANG – “Bad Boy”
I’ve really had BIGBANG all wrong this era. Not only did they trick me once when they released the sublime “Blue” (review here) instead of the Top Forty Teddy Park club banger that I was expecting, they went and did it a second time with the their new single “Bad Boy”.
Maybe it’s the dark cloud of last year’s scandals or the desire to do the unexpected, but whatever’s made BIGBANG put their serious hat on again, I like it.
After the dance-pop of “Tonight” and the U2-esque “Love Song”, “Bad Boy” serves as a much-needed reminder that BIGBANG are, in fact, a Hip-Hop group. The lush urban midtempo knocks along with an organic, 90s’ Hip-Hop beat, led by the androgynous G-Dragon who alternates between rapping and singing about being a jerk to his girlfriend, first telling her to leave him for her own good, and then changing his mind and begging her to stay.
Individually, the members of BIGBANG aren’t the greatest vocalists or rappers under the sun, but together they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their parts are arranged with the precision of a professional sniper: from GD’s nasally drawl to T.O.P.’s gruff rhymes, Taeyang’s sweet falsetto, and Seungri and Daesung’s smooth urban tones, they all function together like a perfectly-oiled K-Pop machine.
It’s kind of hard to take GD seriously as a bad boy with the Ken Paves’ hairpiece that he’s rocking in the music video –not even the titan of tacky herself Tina Knowles could come up with something so ghastly– but if you just close your eyes during his scenes, you’ll be okay.
But other than G-Dragon’s questionable weave, Taeyang not removing his shirt, and the fact that 2NE1 didn’t play the love interests in the music video, “Bad Boy” contains no flaws. None!
Lord help me — I think I’m becoming a YG stan again.
Score: 4.75/5
How is The Wanted top five in the US now while a flawless group like this isn’t? SMH!
