CL has released the first track from her US debut album with a dance performance video. The video hit the two million views mark in under forty eight hours, but reviews are mixed.
Haven’t seen it yet? Check out the video below before we dive into our TUNE IN review of Hello Bitches.
The following video (unsurprisingly) contains strong language
Love it or hate it Hello Bitches is a bit of an ear-worm, that beat will probably stick with you after you’ve finished listening. Though, given that this track is geared towards the American music market, the oriental edge on the beat feels like a novelty given that the majority of Korean music sounds perfectly Americanised.
Of course, CL’s ‘Asian-ness’ is highly marketable, she’d be a fool not to use it. But when does it become problematic? Is CL purposely mixing up Asian stereotypes, is she attempting to make a read-between-the-lines point about the misconceptions the Western world has about Asia? We may never know, but the reinforcing of stereotypes without a clear reason doesn’t seem smart if you want to set yourself apart.
The track is predominately English, though there’s some Korean in the mix. There’s also noticeable use of what ends up sounding like repetitive nonsense words. When used to attract attention in performance they’re often referred to as Stunt Words; Dr Seuss was a master at this (see: There’s a Wocket in my Pocket).
Repetition is a tool often employed in music, though the combination of stunt words and repetition leads this track open to the criticism that it is utilised in Hello Bitches to sound stereotypically Asian. However, its one of the more impressive sections of the track, considering it is the section that sounds most authentically CL.
The verses include some inventive lyrics, but their delivery comes packaged as if from other established female rappers. CL adapts her rap style for many of the lyrics, though in doing so ends up sounding like Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea at times. The outro sounds like it has been picked right out of Rihanna track and dropped into Hello Bitches.
We get it, CL can do what those American artists do, but why not show us what CL can do, why not stand out from the crowd?
Only time will tell whether CL will show a greater diversity in her debut American album, but for now it is interesting to see the merging of expressive American choreography with the sound of a Korean artist.
What do you think of CL’s Hello Bitches? Why not share your own views in the comments below?
