Girl group SISTAR has addressed the competition between girl groups this summer.
Like clockwork, Sistar is back with their seasonal banger.
The quartet returned on Tuesday (June 21) with “I Like That,” their first song of 2016 and the latest in a bevy of addictive summer releases by the group over the past six years. Turning away from the more upbeat sound they’ve recently favored, Sistar heats things up on this electro-brass track that is their most impassioned song yet.
Bora stated, “I think that the fact that there are many artists to see is an exciting thing for fans. I hope we promote in a way where we can all enjoy it together.” Hyolyn and Dasom also stated, “Watching a variety of genres on stage makes it much more fun for us too. I want to enjoy promotions, not as rivals, but as colleagues, sunbaes and hoobaes.”
While darker than other recent hits, “I Like That” takes Sistar out of the cheerful pop sound they’ve become pidgenholed in following hits like “Shake It” last year and “Touch My Body” the year before that. (The latter got a shout out on Family Guy earlier this year.) Not any less catchy, “I Like That” is a sassy return to their sultry sound last seen in 2013’s “Give It To Me”.
The title track I Like That, which swept the charts as soon as it was released, is a dance track about a girl who is consumed by love and falls for a boy who she knows is a bad boy.
Never ones to shy away from the sax and synths, “I Like That” turns away from bubblegum with a steady bassline and guitar riffs that steadily build. The song’s alternating tempo draws on Sistar’s dual image as one of K-pop’s sexiest and most playful groups: the mournful solos and back-and-forth belts counter the hook-filled chorus and clapping chant.
The title and lyrics seem to refer to a woman liking someone who can’t stay loyal to her, and the accompanying retro-tinged music video perfects the group’s ability to match their style with their performances as they sing about the mixed emotions. The sets and cinematography are ethereal and dramatic while the four women are portrayed as vulnerable and empowered. Their dance is Sistar’s most powerful in years, with the finale featuring the scorned women throwing in the towel (or gauze) and abandoning the relationship.
Meanwhile, SISTAR will actively begin promotions for their 4th mini album Mol Ah Ae following the showcase held on June 21.
Park Sa-lim, Seoul