Rejoice for T-ara have returned with another banger and reminds everyone that the group is far from dead yet.
And thank god Hyomin's grown her hair back.
First thing's first, "Sugar Free" is a fantastic song. The gritty instrumental reminds me of last year's "Number Nine" in some parts and the electronic sound suits T-ara brilliantly. The verses have Soyeon and Boram providing an interesting contrast to Hyomin and Qri and the buildup to the chorus is dynamic and exciting, climaxing with a high note from Eunjung before leaping straight into the chorus which is simple yet very effective. One strength is the constant back-and-forth between members which manages to build tension well. The rap break may have been thrown in just to give Hyomin and Jiyeon more lines but at least it doesn't completely shift the pace of the song so it's not intrusive. There's honestly not much I can nitpick about this because "Sugar Free" is perfect for T-ara and no group could pull this song off like they could.
Boram sings quite a bit here though I can't say the same for poor Qri...
T-ara's music videos are infamous for their horrendous editing but my god this one really takes the cake. I watched the MV for the first time just after waking up and finished with a pounding headache. Everything's so bright: a neon dance set that flashes blue, pink and purple, lightning-speed editing, swooping white lights that illuminate the members and a border around certain parts of the video that changes colour- this one even gives the dance version of "Day by Day" a run for its money. However, being the kind souls they are, CCM decided to include a good few closeups of Jiyeon's butt as if to say sorry for the editing.
Fans will be delighted to see this video is the height of "classy sexy".
You'd think the choreography would be fast and vigorous to suit the style of the song, but instead it's rather undemanding. The point choreography seems to be the members swaying from side to side whilst holding out their arm to the side and rubbing their fingers as if sprinkling sugar and the lack of urgency in the girls' moves make it look effortless and provide a difference in mood to that of the music.
Not that you can see much of the choreography anyway thanks to the lights.
"Sugar Free" is a definite success for T-ara. Whilst it certainly doesn't reach the lofty heights of "Like the First Time" and "Roly Poly" it's just the comeback T-ara needed after "Do You Know Me?" performed worryingly in the charts.
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