Review of 'Gone, Not Around Any Longer' by Sistar19

I’ve never been a fan of Sistar of Starship Entertainment, let alone their subunit Sistar19; however, I decided to give their music video a try, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Firstly, I have to commend the song and how beautiful the vocals and instrumentals really are.

Most k-pop artists nowadays have only synthesized beats in their songs, but this one was different. The saxophone gave it a more sultry, enticing flair, whilst the piano interlude was simply gorgeous and merely adds more reasons to love the song. Hyorin, dubbed as the “Korean Beyonce” by her fans, contributed emotional and strong vocals perfectly that convey the lyrics. Towards the end of the song, Hyorin’s voice rings so powerfully it sends chills down my spine every time.

I also found the costuming, lighting, filming, and sets very effective. Most of the outfits the two women wore had turtlenecks, and despite how atrocious some people consider them, Sistar rocked them. Their outfits, especially the black turtleneck paired with the black shorts, were classy- yet, they showed enough skin to be tastefully sexy. The sets were appealing, especially scenes with the transparent piano, which I found hauntingly beautiful. The frequent change of sets kept me interested throughout the video.

Now for the criticism. Hyorin is known for having the strongest vocals in the k-pop industry, so it is understandable for her to garner 99% of song vocally; however, I still feel as if Bora, Sistar’s main rapper and lead dancer, should have gotten more exposure. When both girls danced during the piano interlude, I thought would have been better if only Bora danced to it. As great as Hyorin is at dancing, cutting her out would have allowed Bora to shine as the main dancer and show the viewers why she is in the subunit in the first place.

Also, I was not a huge fan of the choreography. Their legs swaying from side to side looked sensual and gorgeous when the blind-folded back up dancers were on the floor, but Bora and Hyorin sliding on the glass table only seemed awkward. During the chorus, their bodies rock back and forth with their hands on their chest, which also looked awkward. I understand their sexy, mature concept, but I felt the dance still could have been better fitting for the song. I felt there needed to be a more emotional, powerful dance. The choreography during the piano interlude, however, felt more appropriate to the track, which was the only part of the routine I liked.

Overall, if I had to rate the song itself, I would rate it 9/10 stars. The only reason not to toss it a full score is because of  Bora’s seemingly insignificant participation in the track. The music video earns a 7/10 for their amazing concept, costumes, and sets but their hit or miss choreography ended as a miss for me.

Good luck to both women in receiving an award this year!

For those who are curious, watch the video here.