K-POP Reviews

So Ji Sub - So Ganzi [K-song Review #3]

So the brilliant So Ji Sub is back with three songs this week - So Ganzi (White); So Ganzi (Black) and Cola Bottle Baby (I think that is the name but don't quote me). I am going to be looking more at both the So Ganzi songs and comparing them but I am going to put it out there right now, my favourite of the three is the Cola Bottle Baby song. But that song seemed a little like an advertisement so I wont be talking about that much.

If you haven't heard of this incredible man and are aware of the Korean music and drama world, where have you been? This man is multi-talented (although we all know what he is better in if we are being real). He is a fantastic actor, starring in one of my favourite dramas ever, Master's Sun, alongside Gong Hyo-Jin. He is just amazing at acting but we all know his rapping is a bit...how do we put this nicely...not great. It is not the worst rapping by far because his voice is weirdly sultry but it just isn't what you would expect a recording artist to sound like. But he was famous so it was easy come.

So, we'll start with 'So Ganzi (White). This is the more upbeat of the two versions. It's more retro with the chorus sounding awfully similar to TVXQ's new song 'Champagne' which was sung by U-Know. I'm not saying anything about plagiarism or the like, I am just pointing out something that I noted. I really like the chorus though. I think I'd even go as far to say that I prefer this chorus than 'Black''s version.

However, that is not to mean I prefer the whole song. In fact, I think I prefer the verses of 'Black' because the slower, more R&B feel, suits So Ji Sub's rapping style (if you can call it a style). The faster rap of 'White' doesn't do him much favours and takes away from the overall song really.

'So Ganzi (Black)' actually has a little under 20,000 more views than 'White', which personally I don't think is really deserved. SOUL DIVE and NEWDAY's contributions to both the songs where the feature aren't exactly equal in my opinion. The chorus in 'White' which I pointed out earlier is better. For me, there is no question about that. 'Black''s chorus isn't great, it really isn't. There is nothing new to it, nothing fresh and I simply get bored.

While I rather the verses of 'Black', the feeling that I am left with after that song is boredom. I like chill songs and I like laid-back raps so I cannot blame that. It's just this song. There is little to no life. The only part that I really like is the start and I find myself replaying that part only rather than the whole thing. The 'so ganzi' part of this song isn't bad either. Just the song as a whole doesn't work for me and that is a pity because a song like this could be good. If you are looking for a more slow but strong rap by So Ji Sub, I'd go for '18 Years', if you can ignore the awfully cheesy chorus.

I like the 'White' version more and again I love the start of the song. You can groove to the chorus (if grooving is even a thing anymore!). His voice is a little left behind in the verses but it isn't too bad and it is easily overlooked. The 'so ganzi' part of this song isn't as strong at all but it honestly isn't that big of a deal.

Now, you may be thinking 'but what about the video?' Well, there isn't much to say other than that there are a lot of beautiful shots of a beautiful man's face in stunning blazers. There's nothing to the videos really. They don't add to the music at all. Makes no difference if you're watching while listening or just have the music playing in the background. That isn't ideal because what is the point of a music video and the money spent on that. But there just simply isn't anything happening or going on with the videos that I particularly enjoyed or stood out. They were just simply there. I'd just download the song and listen to it that way.

So Ji Sub, I love you and that will never change, but you need to step up your game man!