KPOP: [Review] FIESTAR ‘Vista’

So, FIESTAR debuted all of fifteen seconds ago, and I’m officially hooked.

IU introduced us to her new labelmates about a month ago with the super-cute song and MV, “Sea of Moonlight“. Seemingly unphased by the magnitude of debuting in the shadow of K-Pop’s crown princess and unconcerned with the oversaturated rookie market, the six ladies of FIESTAR skipped and giggled their way through the peppy, 80′s synths and onto my radar.

We didn’t hear much from FIESTAR for the next few weeks, and then the teasers began. A teaser video of them rocking their own version of SHINee’s iconic “Lucifer” choreography- this was our first clue that something exciting was about to happen. Next came teasers of Cheska and Yezi performing rap covers. Yezi came out of nowhere with her Lil’ Mama cover, bringing power and showmanship you don’t normally see in a one-take rehearsal video. Give her time- this girl is going to rival some of K-Pop’s best rappers. Kreayshawn herself retweeted Cheska’s enthusiastic cover of “Gucci Gucci“, which showed a cuter counterpoint to Yezi’s rapping, promising an interesting balance of styles. Next, LOEN announced that FIESTAR would collaborate with none other than Korean hip-hop giant Tiger JK on their predebut track- there was clear potential for something awesome to happen, and “Wicked” delivers on all levels.

“Wicked” was inspired by ‘moombahton‘, a new-ish dance genre that combines house music and reggaeton to create an electronic, samba-esque sound that we haven’t really heard in K-Pop until now. The song is weird and funky, bouncing off of the wall in all the right ways. It gives us glimpses into the members’ skills without revealing everything they’ve got to offer, and proves what the teasers suggested- these girls are more than the pixie-like cuties we met in “Sea of Moonlight”. They’ve got some serious talent and a lot of attitude, and they’re not afraid to try things that have thus far gone untested in K-Pop.

On August 30, FIESTAR made their official debut with the mambo-inspired “Vista“. Their team at LOEN really pulled out all the stops on this song, delivering a dynamic instrumental and arrangement that really showcases the group’s talent.

The vocalists are all strong- Linzy especially won me over in the chorus with her full, smokey tone. The rappers are just as fantastic- Yezi sounds like a total pro! Cheska, who is from the US, may be one of the first English-speaking rappers in K-Pop to get treated like a rapper rather than a gimmick right from the get-go. While she doesn’t have too many lines in “Vista”, she does actually get to rap in Korean, rather than just talking through some awkward English lines. Other companies, take note.

The video is delightfully wacky and as bright as a bag of Skittles, showing off some fabulous dancing mixed with a mostly discernable storyline. LOEN’s videos are always gorgeous, and this one is no exception- almost every shot looks like it could have come straight out of a really colorful graphic novel, and I really appreciate the amount of detail present in each scene. Also, as if IU and Tiger JK’s stamps of approval weren’t enough, Sunny Hill‘s SeungA makes a cameo as a sassy, tambourine-shaking Wonder Woman, and JYJ‘s Junsu plays a very unamused hairspray model/talent competition judge.

One of the most striking things about FIESTAR is that they don’t quite feel like rookies. Rookie groups usually spend their first few months or so after their debut appearing at least a little awkward, like they’re not quite sure of what to do with each other. Maybe it’s their age (half the members were born in the eighties, and even maknae Yezi in the ’94 line- older than a lot of debuts we’ve seen over the past few years), maybe it’s just because they’ve been together so long (according to LOEN, the group has already been together for two years), or maybe they just have really well-matched personalities, but each member seems to know where they stand within the group dynamic, and their comfort level comes across well and lends an air of professionalism to their presence.

FIESTAR brings together the right mix of talent with the right production team, resulting in something really exciting. The music video for “Vista” tells us, “Don’t worry, everything will be amazing“- well, this debut certainly is amazing, and in LOEN’s very capable hands, I’m not worried about FIESTAR at all. I’m just sitting back and enjoying the show.

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Reviewer's Rating:

(4.7 / 5)

Community Rating: