#seeing good players critique technique on like. america's got talent; if you know what to look for

[autistic-shaiapouf]

If I could completely wipe my mind of what it means to be proficient with a violin I would do it

[ohwiseswami]

VIXX: An Outsiders Perspective

Now, I’ve decided on doing a VIXX critique using this formula because I’m very new to their work. As requested by some followers, I’ve crammed in as much information as I could about their music recently and want to share my thoughts on them and where they could improve. 

Let’s start.

The Good

Niche Music: VIXX is probably the most eclectic group I’ve done so far in that many of their singles are, essentially, pop-rock tracks. They are not a ‘hippity-hoppity, let’s throw on a blackcent and a bandana’ type of group, which, I argue, gives them space at the table in the music industry. Of all the groups I can think of, it’s them that is doing this capitalism thing right. People want differentiation in products and with VIXX being Nickelback-meets-NSYNC in an industry of Skrillex-meets-Chris Brown-meets-Soulja Boy’s, it’s actually kind of refreshing

Surprisingly Decent Vocal Line: VIXX stans can argue all day whether Jaehwan (Ken) or Taekwoon (Leo) is the superior vocal, but it’s obvious it’s Hakyeon (N). Let me tell you why: N has a stronger vocal technique than either Leo or Ken from what I’ve seen. Now, I know I could use to watch more VIXX performances but, as I said, from what I’ve seen N protects his voice more than the other two. Funnily enough, Ken is actually my favorite of them all. His tone is just agreeable. Even so, I find it difficult to find too many issues with Leo’s voice because he has the best stage presence of them all--bringing emotion into his performances that feels genuine--even if it’s not much

Creative Involvement: Hate him or love him, Wonsik (Ravi) is involved in just about every VIXX release that immediately comes to mind. And while this isn’t a requirement for me to find an idol good at what they do (will get into the distinction between artist and idol another time), I find it admirable. This is especially so since VIXX has some songs with very powerful lyrical content and meaning

Recent Improvement in Music Production: While my section on VIXX’s music will come later, I want to note now that VIXX’s latest release sounds very crisp and clean, which is a sign of improvement. Anytime a group grows, I always find it in me to give them a plus on the improvement. But seriously, their releases used to sound like they were recorded on a flip phone from a radio station that played it from a 1942 record player. It was a whole low-sonic quality mess. Now it finally sounds like what 2k HD looks like

The ‘Needs to Improve’

Dance Line: 

Current - While I find Hakyeon lighter than air and graceful in his movement, he does not captivate me. His dancing lacks energy at times and can even be seen as lethargic. He can’t even hold charismatic facial expressions because of it. While he delivers at times (his TOXIC routine is gold), he usually looks flat out exhausted. Perhaps this has something to do with being the main dancer in a group with only one back up for him?

Improvement - That said, I think Hakyeon can be saved. It’s clear that he has talent but not the proper outlet to show it. What I argue needs to happen for the dance line, particularly Hakyeon is a change in VIXX’s dancing style. I think that with more gender-fluid choreography, Hakyeon’s style could shine through. He looks best when performing choreography that isn’t attached to the mainstream kpop style for boy groups. Injecting feminine energy into VIXX’s choreography would make for a more lively performance than their typical point dances (if you’re curious as to what I mean, I urge you to check out Taemin’s MOVE or watch a strip show)

Music:

Current - VIXX’s music, for lack of a better term, is dated. The music they debuted with was about 5 years behind the industry (which was already five years behind the American industry) and they’re just now playing catch-up with their latest release. When I listen to some of those songs, I get the distinct feeling that VIXX watched SHINee Lucifer once and decided to model their entire discography off of it. Even to their latest release, it sounds like something EXO would’ve released in 2016. Now, you can argue that older-sounding music is a good thing, but in VIXX’s case, it’s not. Their music is not timeless, it’s just usually dated on arrival 

Improvement - Even with their music being dated, it’s still different from the norm and has a sound that no other kpop group since VIXX’s debut has even wanted to touch. They can easily take this sound and update it, giving them a 2013 Paramore feel (which, 2013 Paramore still sounds like fresh alternative rock music)

Current - A lot of their music sounds the same. There’s some standouts like Love Me Do and Only U, but most of it sounds like different variations of songs like Error and Chained Up

Improvement - See: Paramore. Seriously. I’m not talking about their most recent album but in albums before that they still had music that felt like Paramore without being the same thing rehashed. I think VIXX could ultimately go the soft EDM-pop rock fusion route and eliminate the High School Musical 4 sound that invades many of their songs

Visuals:

Current - VIXX’s music videos aren’t horrible, not even by a stretch. They’re just not interesting. This is pretty standard in kpop, but that doesn’t mean they should shoot for the sky when they can have the moon. Their concepts are usually so interesting and so different from the norm that they could really get creative with their music videos

Improvement - VIXX finally got their hands on cameras that weren’t attached to iPhones, so can they now get a VFX and SFX team to bring their concepts to life without looking like a cheesy low budget mess? I know they come from a smaller company and may not have the money to really go all out but I think it’s worth a shot to find a good production team to execute their concepts better. At the very least, they could use better direction and maybe even give their videos a story line. Am I the only one who’d find a plot for Chained Up dope, especially since the song itself tells a story?

The Irredeemable

Get rid of Ravi. There, I said it, it’s done. 

I know VIXX stans gonna hate my ass lmao. But, I’m not saying he’s a bad artist/not talented/etc. I just don’t know that he’s right for VIXX’s progression as a musical performance entity. Here is my main reason:

VIXX should be a vocal k-pop/rock group. They don’t need a rapper, never did. In fact, rap portions usually do not advance VIXX’s songs. Instead, it sounds like forcing a YG-reject to fit in with a SHINee/CNBlue hybrid experiment. Ravi’s an okay singer, but he’s not good enough to eat at the table with Ken and Leo, who are more like ex-EXO/DBSK members to me

Another thing that limits VIXX is the fact that they are very boybandish at times. Now you may say, ‘Sis, they are a boyband,’ but this crtique isn’t about what VIXX is, it’s about what they could be. VIXX has the potential to be the emo cousin of EXO, with moody concepts and experimental choreography. I know some of them play instruments as well, which could only add to their new identity once we’ve cut them down. The South American and Southeast Asian markets would eat that up, especially since VIXX is already so good at it

Also, maybe not be trash? I kind of wanted to avoid this, but it’s hard to do considering the fact that all I knew about VIXX before working on this was the fact that N was bullied into submission by the members and some of them have said some vile things that only compete with the likes of Suju for their level of trashness. The main reason why I wanted to mention this is because of what I see for VIXX’s path in the future (I also want to note that I didn’t let this color my musical critique of VIXX)

I see VIXX as a staple in Latin America and Southeast Asia, but it’s hard to do when you’re constantly shit-talking the looks of the people who inhabit these areas. Dark skin and Tanned skin are beautiful and nothing to be ashamed of. Pale skin isn’t superior and calling someone a “half-breed” as an insult isn’t funny? All it does is alienates potential fans from the markets that would be open to your style the most. Because, if I’m being honest, I don’t know many people from where I’m from (probably the whitest place in America) that would be too into VIXX’s music and concepts. Their wave is more appropriate for places like Brazil and The Phillipines. If they want to grow their audience, they need to grow as people 

Final Thoughts

Hongbin and Hyuk both remind me of Sehun. Take that as you want.

VIXX is not meant for the Bangtan trajectory. They have their own special place in kpop that is so unique from other groups that they shouldn’t worry themselves with North American success. I think they’re talented men with something to prove, and with a little adjustment, they can become a niche phenomenon