Greatest Hits:: Pattern: Malibu

 This one was recommended to me over on Threads, which delights me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because small groups like this give me life, and I desperately want to shout about them from the rooftops (the void of the internet will do as I don't want a noise complaint). Second, the user actually gave me two recommendations, their debut song and their most recent release. Thirdly, because when I looked them up after getting which was the group name and which was the fandom name, I found out they were all adults at debut, even starting with their earlier Japan activities. and that's something I will always support. Let the twenty-somethings have their dreams too!

For this, obviously I was going to pick their debut song, because I absolutely love debuts. This is going to be a little late, but circumstances being what they are, this shouldn't be too late. Also, multiple of the members are former members of other groups, which means a special fondness from me that they've managed to come together for another chance. 

• Group: Pattern
• Debut Date: 2022 October 17
• Company: KPLUS Entertainment/Independent
• Status: Active
• Album: Malibu
• Song: Malibu
• Release Date: 2022 October 17

Yo. 

My peeps. Friends. Random strangers on the internet (welcome! I now consider you a friend).

What is this? 

See, this is exactly why I started this segment because this group deserves so much attention! What do you mean they have less than two thousand monthly listeners on Spotify? No, I cannot believe that. This song is incredible. This song is throw-my-shoe amazing. Thank you, random person on the internet. I am so glad that I asked which what you meant by the words you were throwing out there that I assumed were both fandom names (their fandom name is Pairing, by the way, and I think that's adorable).

It might take me a minute to get my thoughts together enough to say something valuable or insightful, because it turned my brain to mush a little. I really didn't need another smaller group to love. I didn't. Look, I know exactly why this one has never come up on my radar before (2022 had about 74 groups debut, and many of them have been lost in the shuffle or disbanded since then), but what even is this? I'd like to go on the record that I'm not forcing this reaction at all. You all are getting the censored, because I try to avoid swearing here, but otherwise unadulterated reaction. 

Okay. Let's try to focus. 

That guitar at the beginning has me in a chokehold. Was I expecting it? No. Did it immediately catch my attention? Yes. This is an incredibly tactile song, despite the fact that I am only listening to it, that makes me think of satin, organza, and chiffon, which coincidentally are three fabrics that are used in modern flamenco dress making. There is a slight flamenco vibe to the song, but rather than lending itself to that style of dance, the song rolls sensually for three minutes. 

And the stylists for the music video need a raise. I don't know when I decided that the tight, dark pants and the billowy white shirt tucked into said pants was so attractive, but I do appreciate it. Although now that I think about it, it may have been Prince Eric and also Meg from the 2002 Phantom of the Opera. That's good to know, but really, the stylists did an excellent job across all three different outfit sets that they wear because the outfits match the tone of the song so well.

And the cinematography of the music video itself! The unbalanced movements and the connections to the choreography are brilliant, which tightens up the music video and allows it to be a little unstable. And judging by the lyrics, which I used this color-coded lyrics video for because my Korean isn't that good yet, that sense of instability is deeply appropriate for the meaning of the song. I'm glad they're all adults. That's all I'm going to say about that.

And good news, everyone! We have stage performances!

I figured out what the vibe of the choreography and the outfits is. Vampires. They are the gothic representation of seduction, after all.

I'm not sure that they have inner ears, which immediately makes them so much more impressive to be able to stay together like that. I'm not sure their mics are live, but because they're a brand-new group from what is as far as I can tell mostly a model management company, they're lucky they got a stage. If those mics aren't live, that's not on them. That's on K-Stage. Their ending fairies were kind of adorable though. And I really like the choreography. 

But guess what! I found a K-Stage performance from the next January where those mics are definitely live.

Still no inner ears, and they still seem nervous, but I'm so proud of them all the same! It takes a lot to perform like this without the aids that other groups, and other musicians in general, have to keep them on rhythm and key. It's a testament to their training. The rapper's name is JJ, by the way, and he looks a little like Zico, which I think is an amusing coincidence. 

So, yeah. I genuinely love this song. Thank you, Thread user!