Mamamoo is considered an institution in k-pop, right up there with Red Velvet and TWICE, who all debuted around the same time, in the 2014-15 period that birthed so many classic girl groups. They have four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa, who are all in their late 20’s / early 30’s now.

Here are my credentials: I would consider myself a casual fan of Mamamoo. I know a decent amount of their singles, a couple b-sides, and I saw their performances on the 1st season of Queendom. I think they’re very talented, but I also know of the controversies surrounding racism (including actual blackface, which I won’t be going into detail about here, but please check out Seoulbeats’ article), so I’ve kind of purposely tried not to get too invested. So, I’m doing this both to know their music better and see where they’ve gone in terms of their earlier mistakes. Let’s get started!

EP #1: Hello

Their 2014 debut, Mr. Ambiguous, begins with a vocalized beat and what may be the gentlest group name drop I’ve ever seen. MV is shot in both black and white and incredibly bright color with no in between. And, I have to say, those are ridiculously short skirts and high heels to be doing these dances in. My feet are hurting in empathy. The song certainly sets itself apart from the popular tracks of the time, going for a classy, sexy R & B track with a hint of jazz that follows groups such as AOA, 9Muses and Secret, and is quite catchy. I don’t think it’s their best, but it sets a very good precedent for a debut.

From the EP, Hello, I enjoyed the literal singer intros in the R & B intro Hello, the whispered pre-chorus in Heeheehaho, and the sort-of-rockabilly electric guitar and horns in Baton Touch.

Single #1: Piano Man

Piano Man was actually the first track I’d heard of Mamamoo’s, and though its MV is more reminiscent of a silent movie, it’s also a performance through and through. It takes its time as all the best songs do, with old phone dialing noises, footsteps on cobblestones, and a simple snap of the fingers, then transports the audience to what seems like a speakeasy done up in 20’s glamor with an equally 20’s trilling piano and hi-hat percussion that together create a captivating, jazzy track. This one also makes interesting use of black and white vs color, and is overall excellent in atmosphere, dance, and of course, getting you to sing along. It’s probably my favorite Mamamoo song (at least so far, of course).

EP #2: Pink Funky

Um Oh Ah Yeah goes for a still-sensual but overall more cutesy and fun concept than the past two songs, with an utterly ridiculous and complicated storyline featuring three of the members in drag to match (that for some reason also involves attempted assault? And mistaken identity that is either progressive or vaguely homophobic? I can’t decide). The song itself sticks more in the chip-tune area, not dissimilarly to Red Velvet’s Russian Roulette, but goes in more of a 90’s R & B direction with Mamamoo’s rich voices. I confess I was a bit too distracted by the chaos of the video to give the song its due, but I did like it.

From the EP, Pink Funky, I enjoyed the funky distortion in Freakin’ Shoes (though I’m not sure how I feel about the song as a whole), their lovely voices harmonizing together in A Little Bit, and that self-assured guitar mixed with jazz in Ahh Oop (my hidden gem, especially for its commentary on sexual harassment which…is also a bit hypocritical, to be honest).

Album #1: Melting

Taller Than You isn’t technically a single, but instead a funny MV paired with an equally bizarre track. It’s based around the idea of Mamamoo making fun of each other for their 1 cm height differences (sorry, 1.8). Though it goes a bit too heavy on the aegyo in the performances, it did get some genuine laughter out of me, reminding me of my (all extremely short) female family members who swear on the River Styx that they’re actually 5’ and half an inch tall.

You’re The Best is the actual single from the album, and, like Um Oh Ah Yeah, also goes for the confident pursuit of a man, though thankfully doesn’t endorse sexual harassment, so that’s great. With a funky base and some excellently interpolated brass, it’s overall just a fun track that gets you on your feet whether you expected that or not, that’s of course greatly elevated by their distinctive voices.

From the album, Melting, though I enjoyed the gentle piano in Words Don’t Come Easy, the fade-out in My Hometown, the “never, never, never” hook in Emotion, and the fun percussion in golden-age-musical-inspired Cat Fight, none of those were my hidden gem. Instead, I couldn’t help but be won over by the genuinely excellently expressed emotion in their voices in I Miss You. The performance of it on Queendom, addressed to their younger selves, is quite moving, and I can see why it swayed the audience.

Album #2: Memory

Decalcomanie takes more after the classy, golden-age jazz of Piano Man than the bubbly pop of You’re The Best, to great effect. Though the verses only have minimal percussion in the form of hand claps, they do a great job of building tension until it explodes, just like the track itself. The chorus itself takes off from what the verses build from, and creates a slight sense of danger that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The song itself is near-perfect, but the music video itself is…not. Though it’s now been removed, the original cut showed a lot of aggression from the male character to the female love interests, some of which is disturbing to watch, especially paired with what’s otherwise a beautifully shot MV and such romantic lyrics. I won’t go too into it here, but consider checking out Seoulbeats’ article on the subject.

From the album, Memory, I enjoyed the bright, feel-good New York with its great vocalizing, the back and forth between Mamamoo and Hash Swan, the featured artist, in Moderato, and the 20’s brass and twinkling piano in Dab Dab.

EP #3: Purple

Yes I Am is another bright, funky concept centered around confidence, and I did have a good time dancing to this one, as it’s pretty groovy in a way that draws from swing while having a more 60’s pop art aesthetic. The song itself isn’t that unique in their discography, but it actually addresses the ridiculousness of beauty standards in its lyrics, mentioning monolids and plastic surgery, masculine fashion, round faces, dimples, and curves, all of which are not seen as beautiful, so I do give it credit for that.

From the EP, Purple, I liked the interesting percussion of Aze Gag.

Single #2: Paint Me

Paint Me is a classic, piano-led ballad that spotlights Mamamoo’s voices in a way that even their most vocal-heavy titles before haven’t, and features gorgeous lyrics like “you color me layer by layer, like a tattoo”. It’s also the kick-off point of their “four colors, four seasons” project, assigning each member a traditional Korean color (white winter for Wheein, blue fall for Solar, red summer for Moonbyul, and yellow spring for Hwasa), and spotlighting each in their next four EPs.

EP #4: Yellow Flower

Starry Night is a definite departure from Mamamoo’s earlier material, drawing inspiration from Spanish ballads and overall being more toned down and earthy, down to the setting of the music video in the countryside. It still feels elegant and is elevated by their great voices, of course, but in my opinion, though I can appreciate its artistry, it’s not the sort of thing I would replay often, which isn’t helped by the slight anti-drop in the chorus. 

Hwasa’s solo, Be Calm, is up first out of the four, and is, fittingly, very dreamy and self-reflective, ruminating on her mental state while enjoying a warm summer day. Like Starry Night, it succeeds mostly on the strength of its vibes—which, don’t get me wrong, are immaculate—and of course, the power in Hwasa’s voice. 

From the EP, Yellow Flower, I didn’t have a hidden gem, as it was quite an understated and sad album, but I enjoyed the laughter in the intro From Winter To Spring.

EP #5: Red Moon

Egotistic also draws from Latin Pop, with a brassier guitar and an overall far stronger hook than Starry Night, which does make sense. It follows their earlier songs’ trend of sex appeal (including a pole dance for some reason?), despite a song about freedom from a toxic relationship, which confuses me a bit, but I’m not that surprised. That being said, I think that Egotistic is a pretty good song with a bunch of good ideas and a very strong driving beat, especially in the last chorus, but I wish that its main chorus was more than vocalizing.

Moonbyul’s solo, Selfish, was, delightfully for me, a collaboration with Red Velvet’s Seulgi, and is much more hip-hop driven than Hwasa’s, which makes sense since Moonbyul is Mamamoo’s rapper. I thought that their voices worked very well together in what’s not super memorable but is definitely entertaining to watch with its bright colors and youthful energy.

From the EP, Red Moon, I enjoyed the cry of “I don’t know what happened to me” from Midnight Summer Dream, and the delightfully upbeat energy and Gfriend-esque classical flourishes of Sky! Sky!.

Here’s where we’ll leave off for this week; see you next time! Tschüss!