120916 Coffee Break-SISTAR

What first attracted me to SISTAR was none other than their powerhouse lead vocalist Hyorindominating in the popular competition show, ‘Immortal Song‘. From her husky cackles which complemented her tomboyish personality to the swag that she brought onto the stage, Hyorin was destined to be on the show and the audience agreed as it clearly showed bias on the votes week after week. As I fell more and more in love with Hyorin, naturally I was introduced to SISTAR. Surprisingly, for a girl who is somewhat anti-female-idol-groups, I was very much attracted to SISTAR and here is why:

SISTAR, consisting of Hyorin, Soyu, Dasom, and Bora, debuted just 2 years ago under Starship Entertainment and with a total of 9 singles and 1 album released, these personable girls are already on the top of their game with various images already manufactured and produced perfectly for the fans to enjoy. Even with mediocre song releases, what kept SISTAR relevant was their undeniable talent, shining stage mannerisms, and aesthetics that even competes side by side with the queen of sexy, Lee Hyori.

SISTAR first debuted with a faux punk-bad-girl-and-flirtatiously-coy image in 2010 while releasing their debut single, ‘Push Push‘. “Push Push” had an interesting appeal from the 50s background to four attractive girls who are suffering from identity issues. Nonetheless, “Oh Baby“, the second track of the single, was the track that grabbed my attention. As soon as Hyorin starts out in the beginning with her signature sexy vocals, Bora followed with her pretty-girl rap, wrapping it up with Soyu and Dasom’s solos. The song is simple and without much layers which may sound mediocre at first glance. But the rawness of the track gave the girls a chance to showcase their vocals without excessive embellishment. And also it is just an easy-listen with soft bass sounds that is quite soothing if you are in the mood for something sweet and simple.

Unfortunately, when SISTAR released their 2nd single, ‘How Dare You’ in December of 2010, South Korea was facing altercation with North Korea (not surprising) forcing them to push back their MV release date for about a week. But even with the delayed release date, “How Dare You” did well in the charts and even won them first place on KBS ‘Music Bank‘. Once again, the girls brought their sass to the choreography as they sing of how foolish the boy is for playing around with their feelings. The suggestive (?) choreography where the girls are ‘brushing-of-their-butts’ has become one of their signature moves as a modified version appears again during their hit single, “So Cool“.

When they released their most recent debut single “Loving You“, SISTAR had already established themselves as one of the most wanted female idol group in not just variety shows but especially in concerts held for soldiers. There were already several accounts where celebrities who were discharged from the military admitted that SISTAR was the idol group that every soldier dreamed of meeting. “Loving You” may have been just a single created to please the rapidly multiplying population of SISTAR-suitors. The girls are flirting with the camera in itsy-bitsy sailor suits not only increased sex-appeal but it also set-in-stone the ‘sexy-but-approachable girl next door image’ ( testamentvm) that they had been promoting since debut. Not to mention the song was incredibly addictive as I was humming the chorus line for weeks.

SISTAR had a good run for 2 years and have already placed higher than any other rookies groups that have debuted in the year 2010. But as there’s always a painful experience behind every success story, SISTAR members appeared on variety shows complaining continuously about their rigorous schedule and strict CEO who refuses to give them a break. As much as we (including the writer) love SISTAR, it has come to the time when these girls deserves a good break for their next groundbreaking comeback. But maybe drop few single solos by Hyorin from time to time, please?

Additional Recommendation:
01. “I don’t like a weak man”
02. “Come Closer”
03. “Chronos Soul“