Release Date: December 1, 2017
Tracklist
- (성냥팔이 소녀) The Little Match Girl
Total Runtime: 00:04:01
Recommended for: Those who like vocal centered songs; those who like ballads
NOT Recommended for: Anyone who does not like ballads
SM Entertainment prides itself in setting musical trends and the creation of SM Station is the culmination of this ambition. It started in 2016 and has rolled over to 2017, churning out experimental tracks covering many different genres. The latest single is a collaboration between Red Velvet’s main vocalist Wendy and one of JYP’s best soloists, Baek A Yeon. Due to the caliber of these two artists vocal talents, the track is expected to be a pleasant listen!
From the get go, ‘The Little Match Girl, is a slow tempo song. A-Yeon’s opening verse is accompanied by a piano, a common staple in ballad tracks. The song gets more complex as Wendy’s part kicks in and this continues to the end of the song.
Both Wendy and A-Yeon gave powerful vocal performances, with neither outshining the other. They sing in comfortable ranges while showcasing their vocal abilities. However, one is left wanting for more harmonization between the two. Ballads are meant to showcase an artist vocals and duets are meant to illustrate how two different artists can come together to create a cohesive piece of art even though their styles may be different. Both Wendy and A-Yeon are wonderful in this track but they have very little interaction thus giving the song a feeling of incompleteness. I waited for them to sing together or even harmonize for a few seconds but finished the song with a feeling of disappointment. These two are talented singers collaborating, it is a waste not to use this opportunity to showcase some impressive vocalization.
The music video is very simple and well done, with colors that go well with the mood of the song and the weather. NCT member, Jaehyun, plays the male lead and is wonderful to look at although his character does nothing except stare at objects within and without the confines of his little room. Wendy and A-Yeon also look wonderful and the video does a good job of showing who sings what, such that one who is not familiar with them will be able to distinguish their parts. One downside to the video is that there is no plot for the viewer to follow. Thus, those who do not speak the language will have a hard time understanding what the song is about.
‘The Little Match Girl’ breaks no boundaries as how far ballads may go. The song is nice for the season, but it is not the best ballad one could listen to nor is it the worst. It is fitting for the cold winter season and is pleasant to listen to. It is a song that is nice to listen to, but not one that will make a massive impact on the listener.
