Nine Muses Are Flawless For "Drama" Comeback

Finally, the day we've all been waiting for. I cannot believe this group didn't do anything at all last year except loosing members, and as a fan it was difficult to endure the absence. Having in mind that 2013 was the year of Nine Muses, having made four perfect comebacks with all great tracks, this awaited return to the scene was much needed.

My main reason for loving this group is their music, having one of the better girl group discographies (Sweet Rendezvous anyone?), so the fact that so many member changes have occurred throughout the years bothers me very little. Although loosing three members of the impeccable 2013 line-up was kind of a punch to the heart and it did make me a little sad because they had just started to see some results, but what's done is done. As long as my personal Namyu queens, Kyungri, Erin and Hyuna, are active I'm taking whatever I can get.



I probably think I should be more disappointed with the video than what I actually am, but I guess one of the perks of being a relatively long-time 9M fan is that your expectations for amazing videos aren't that high. The production quality of this video is pretty much standard Star Empire stuff, which is a bit underwhelming but still above average. Though I guess the members' impact is one of the reasons their videos are worth watching.

The setting for drama is, I think, supposed to take place at some kind of theater, judging from the "Now showing" posters and the shining "Drama" billboard, but then again it's quite unclear because the background is just black. It's painfully obvious how staged the scene is, and all the props look exactly like that, props. There are also red curtains from which the members appear, and I guess it does make sense because the title of the track is "Drama" so for them to put on a little show isn't too far-fetched.


The plot of the video is quite small and also somewhat poorly incorporated, but does come together when reading the lyrics for the song. The narrator is stuck in a love triangle, as she's in love with her best friend's boyfriend, and compares it as to being in a TV-drama. Kyungri and Hyemi are portraying the two friends, although I'm not entirely sure who's who. Hyemi does look quite sullen at one point, so I'm guessing she's the one with a one-sided crush. The other members act either as friends of one or two of them, or mere observers to the situation taking place.

It's not a fantastically acted out story, but it doesn't really matter because it's obviously not the main focus of the video. I'd say about 80% of it are choreography or close-ups, and I'm not complaining because both those elements are more than welcomed. One of the benefits of being a large group is that there are endless possibilities in terms of coming up with unique dances, and this is not the first time Nine Muses has taken advantage of their big number. The dance for "Drama" makes good use of dividing the members into units, performing different but separate parts and moving fluently into various formations.

As usual, all the members look great and although the clothes aren't the best I've seen, they make it work somehow. Hyuna in particular stands out with her stunning looks, and Kyungri always commands whatever shot she's in. I would like to discuss the new members though, because I'm not sure how useful they actually are to the group. I think Sojin is very pretty and I can see her having potential, but she's not exactly vocally talented. Keumjo on the other hand does know how to sing, but she's dreadfully boring to watch. In my honest opinion I believe that this group easily could have continued as 6, but I guess that would be against the well-established 9M tradition of "loose some, add some".

As a whole, this comeback was a bit underwhelming and I'm afraid it won't get them particularly far in terms of recognition. The song is quite catchy and they all look wonderful, but it's a bit ho-hum. I personally hoped for something more powerful, like another "Wild" or "News", but this comeback isn't the most conspicuous and it will likely get buried in the near future. It's not that I don't like it because I do, but I'm also a fan of the group and to someone who's not familiar with Nine Muses, it won't be that impressive.

Song: 3,5/5
MV: 3,4/5