timelesz released the album Fam this week that featured the song "Half and Half", which Tofubeats helped produce and which you talked about in an article a while ago. I was wondering if you listened to the song and had any thoughts on the song/what you said about the creative process? For me, the song feels listless and mediocre. I've heard versions of this idol song that I have liked, but it feels like Tofubeats was disappointing here, especially because I liked Tofubeats version of Travis Japan's debut "just dance" better than the original version.
I haven't listened to it yet, but did you see the episode of the timelesz' reality show where he made it? I thought that was interesting (and maybe gets at the issue which based on the episode it was very...workman the way everyone approached it)
Thanks for the reply. I did see the episode, I commented on your article that I actually like the part where they met with Tsunku better than the Tofubeats/song making LOL. And yeah, I know you wouldn't normally review a b-side/unit song (unit meaning only sung by a few members, to be sung by those members while the other members do a costume change) but thought you might have thoughts since you had a post on the episode where they made it.
And yeah, with these idol groups (whether Kpop or Jpop) there is a constant need for content, you don't see them taking breaks in the release schedule for artistic reasons like artists who create their own music sometimes do. This need for music often results in middling/bad filler songs (or A-sides that are corporate slop as opposed to well crafted pop) but can sometimes force producers to take the group in interesting directions, with the need for a new single leading to mining classic genres like city pop.
Hi Patrick,
timelesz released the album Fam this week that featured the song "Half and Half", which Tofubeats helped produce and which you talked about in an article a while ago. I was wondering if you listened to the song and had any thoughts on the song/what you said about the creative process? For me, the song feels listless and mediocre. I've heard versions of this idol song that I have liked, but it feels like Tofubeats was disappointing here, especially because I liked Tofubeats version of Travis Japan's debut "just dance" better than the original version.
I haven't listened to it yet, but did you see the episode of the timelesz' reality show where he made it? I thought that was interesting (and maybe gets at the issue which based on the episode it was very...workman the way everyone approached it)
Thanks for the reply. I did see the episode, I commented on your article that I actually like the part where they met with Tsunku better than the Tofubeats/song making LOL. And yeah, I know you wouldn't normally review a b-side/unit song (unit meaning only sung by a few members, to be sung by those members while the other members do a costume change) but thought you might have thoughts since you had a post on the episode where they made it.
And yeah, with these idol groups (whether Kpop or Jpop) there is a constant need for content, you don't see them taking breaks in the release schedule for artistic reasons like artists who create their own music sometimes do. This need for music often results in middling/bad filler songs (or A-sides that are corporate slop as opposed to well crafted pop) but can sometimes force producers to take the group in interesting directions, with the need for a new single leading to mining classic genres like city pop.