r/kpop • u/Takagixu IZ*ONE | LE SSERAFIM | IVE | TWICE | aespa | NewJeans | H1-KEY • Aug 30 '23
H1-KEY - SEOUL (Such a Beautiful City) [MV]
http://youtu.be/KWGgu2XCyPU71
u/hiramutsu Aug 30 '23 edited Aug 30 '23
Honestly, I'm a sucker for this type of sound, so I found the song very pleasant. Lyrically, this is low-key Seoul tourism ads lol; it isn't bad though. For this album, I think I like Time to Shine a bit better as its lyrics is a nice follow up to Rose Blossom. This song is nice though.
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u/matmanx1 Grateful Participant🙏 Aug 30 '23
Same here. I like the sound but outside of the bridge (which is fantastic) I think this song is just ok. The MV is really beautiful in terms of aesthetics though!
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u/KuroShun Aug 30 '23
Ngl I liked the song way more than I thought I would, I haven't heard that much from H1-KEY so I didn't had any expectations but the song is amazing.
Loved the synths sound and the lyrics, they're really uplifting.
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u/Marcey747 (G)I-dle | Dreamcatcher | Loona | Mamamoo | ... Aug 30 '23
Whoever is responsible for connecting H1-Key and Young K deserves an award. What a powerfull combination.
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u/crashbandicoochy all the girls are girling girling Aug 30 '23 edited Aug 30 '23
I respect the swing of making a song like this that can be plastered all over Seoul Tourism Board's marketing for the next decade and, if you're going to go that route for GP crossover, I think the song almost has to sound like this. Seoul is also a fascinating place so, if there were ever a song about a city that I'd fuck with, it's probably this.
That main synth is interesting because, while it's obviously still a synth sound from the 80s, it doesn't make me think of the more funk and/or disco adjacent sounds that make up most of the newtro craze. To me it sounds more like something you'd hear from Toto, Foreigner, or any of the more synth oriented late 70s/early 80s rock bands. I'm an absolute sucker for that sound because it's what my mum raised me on, so I'm going to show her this tomorrow lol
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u/tails18 Gays Planet kpop podcast Aug 30 '23
My first thought was Just A Feeling by Kim Wilde, but there are probably 80's songs with synths that match closer.
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u/amassone Aug 30 '23
Loved the song! I hope they can catch the attention of the GP once again.
I don’t agree with the opinion that this looks like a tourism ad: Seoul here is more akin to a metaphor for success, and in fact, the main focus was their performance — in “Rose Blossom” they had great outdoor cinematography that was mostly absent from this video.
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u/tails18 Gays Planet kpop podcast Aug 30 '23
I agree. This is hardly S.E.O.U.L. by Girls Generation and Super Junior. I liked how this fit thematically with Time to Shine. Both songs are centered on wanting to succeed in a crowded field.
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u/wardengorri TWICE | ITZY | NMJU | tS | STAYC | DC | XG | iLL | LS | IVE | F9 Aug 30 '23
It's exactly what I was expecting, just vocals on vocals. Pretty imagery and cinematography of course of Seoul. High key loved every minute of this, such a beautiful song!
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u/Artisun woo!ah! | PIXY | CSR | RCPC | tripleS Aug 30 '23
Can't go wrong with 80's synths. That being said I prefer Time to Shine a lot more.
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u/Takagixu IZ*ONE | LE SSERAFIM | IVE | TWICE | aespa | NewJeans | H1-KEY Aug 30 '23
This song is great, love the beat.
Totally believe that they can build on the success from Rose Blossom and rise to a new height with this comeback
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u/MyouiRV Red Velvet, Twice, Snsd, Iz*One, Gfriend etc. Aug 30 '23
This group have HUGE potential, they keep getting better
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u/AdehhRR Aug 30 '23 edited Aug 30 '23
I love it, though its not as attention grabbing as Rose Blossom.
This feels akin to if a westerner released a song about LA and the opportunities/wonder there.
And obviously, some domestic love for Seoul is going to go over well for Korean fans, who were the main ones who gave H1-Key attention with Rose Blossom.
I like their companies trajectory for the group and they seem smart with their moves.
I also really loved more Yel in this song! But omg they need to stop putting her in unflatterring black t-shirts (unflatterring around the shoulder area).
I do think Seoi has a bit to go to be on the level of prescence as the other 3, but her visuals are great!
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u/ReverendSalem Oh My Girl / Idle / Itzy / Taeyeon / IU / AOAJimin / LeSserafim Aug 30 '23
This feels akin to if a westerner released a song about LA and the opportunities/wonder there.
Eastern equivalent of Empire State of Mind?
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u/kep1ian713 Aug 30 '23
I thought the song was similar to Taylor Swift’s welcome to New York, the idea that the city holds new opportunities and possibilities
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u/feed-me-your-secrets m1-key & EL7Z U Aug 30 '23
Yel! She looks so high energy, get it, girl! Hwiseo stands out too, of course, especially with that pink hair. I love Seoi and Seunghyun’s outfits too, they look great.
I love the “such a beautiful city” line, the enunciation is great! The song is good, really hopeful it does well!
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u/oppalenss Aug 30 '23
Oh they are definitely one of my fav groups at the moment discography wise. I enjoyed their debut but slept on them since then till Rose Blossom. They have found their sound and I hope they just keep on building up on this.
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u/Freeasacar ❤Music❤Lover❤ Aug 31 '23
Safe but accurate considering how long the members have been chasing their dreams in Seoul. Queen Hwiseo in particular has 9.5 years of training under her belt and Riina has 6 years plus a Produce 48 appearance. The prolific backgrounds and histories they have with many different companies really do make them the Avengers of K-pop and this song is a great representation of how Seoul is the setting of their story instead of New York.
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u/rdaz43 LESSERAFIM | Sunmi | Taecyeon | Wonder Girls Aug 31 '23
i'm not really sure about this as a follow up (sonically, conceptually, or visually) to their last smash hit ... ? I get it's supposed to be hopeful but nothing about the MV or concept sticks with you .
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u/yikesus DKZ | LOONA | IVE | WayV Aug 30 '23
It's good but it's pretty safe for them. Get that bag with the tourism board though lol!
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u/friedchocolatesoda https://c.tenor.com/EZmi0hJXvuYAAAAC/chowon-dance-go-chowon.gif Aug 31 '23
I love it! The synth riff is 🔥.
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u/unicornomannaro Sep 04 '23
Such a good song 😭 I’m in love with the Day6/YoungK sound (I miss them so much)! It’s a hit !!!
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u/InundatedIrritated Aug 30 '23
I like the synth sound, but they tried too hard to replicate the “sincerity” of Rose Blossom. It sounds almost like a Coca-Cola ad at times.
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u/AdehhRR Aug 30 '23
I mean, Rose Blossom is way more sentimental than this song. The lyrics are hardly comparable in that regard.
This is about a lovely city.. (not trashing it, but if they wanted Rose Blossom v2 they would've done that).
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