Girl Group Challenge - Everglow
Welcome back, Coziers! It is once again time for my weekly girl group challenge. It's that special time of week that I set aside to check out and learn about a new (to-me) girl group. This week, we are checking out EVERGLOW. Let's get to know a bit more about them before we dive right in. I must say I am excited to get to their track, Pirates. Who doesn't love pirates?!
Learning about the group - just the basics
EVERGLOW is a girl group under Yuehua Entertainment. They debuted on March 18, 2019.
Sihyeon - Leader, Lead Vocalist, Visual, Face Of The Group, 99-liner
E:U - Main Rapper, Main Dancer, 98-liner
Mia - Main Vocalist, Main Dancer, 00-liner
Onda - Lead Dancer, Sub Vocalist, Visual, 00-liner
Aisha - Lead Rapper, Sub Vocalist, 00-liner
Yiren - Lead Dancer, Sub Vocalist, Sub Rapper, Visual, Center, Face Of The Group, Maknae, 00-liner
Expectations - before watching
Well this is a pirate concept. I am thinking hard hitting with a rolling ocean sound. If we are truly lucky we will be blessed with the same sort of sea shanty/tavern drinking song vibes that Ateez gave us with Wonderland. Either way I am super excited to dive in!
Music to check out and live stage
Okay today we are going to focus on a single track with a concept to beat, Pirate! I will also include a live stage so we can see the full ahoy matey experience!
Sorry YouTube is going to make you go there directly to watch the mv. Thank you, Stone Music Entertainment.
Thoughts - after watching
Song, mv and lyrics
Okay before we get into the song, mv and lyrics I have to get a minor costume complaint out of the way. No one's corset fits. Corsets are just hanging loosely off torsos and it is a travesty.
Onda, girl tighten that corset!
Corsetry aside, the space pirate princess outfits are pretty amazing. Somehow when imagining this concept, I had not thought about taking it to space. It does work although I question why space pirates are so invested in motorcycles. That seems neither pirate-y, nor space-y.
Space pirates, the motorcycle gangs of Mars
The song is a bop. It goes hard. In this instance the word "pirate" seems to be a substitute for "bad b". As they say in the chorus, girls all the world could be anything and they are pirates.
How cool does Mia look with this futuristic eye patch?!
They also say they have a fleet and are rowing for the crown. So perhaps this is like the kids classic, Pirates: Band of Misfits, and these gals are competing to be pirate queen of the year.
Sihyeon is definitely serving pirate queen!
They are also lyrically encouraging girls to start a riot and speak out which I interpret as entrating girls to stand up for themselves.
E:U - space pirate princess with a crossbow is iconic!
Choreography
Let's move onto the live stage. Everyone is dressed in midriff baring plays on suits with short shorts and I am in love.
Choreography wise we are sticking to a simple sexy concept. For the chorus, we begin with a hip shake of attitude. There are also a fair number of hand movements that mime scanning the horizon for land.
There are a couple moments with backup dancers in the first or second verse that drive home the overall rebellious theme, by having a member break free of a cage of dancers. It symbolizes breaking free of societal expectations.
The pre-chorus choreo is fairly simplistic and pose-heavy, but I think it is so as to not distract from the soaring vocals.
In the final verse there are a few moments where the member leading the verse covers her face and then reveals it. I interpret this Loona-style, she is "reveal[ing] to the world the hidden side." Again it is just emphasizing that being a "pirate" is about being yourself and being authentic.