MV Review- KARA Shoot Straight Through My Heart With "Cupid"

It's clear that, even after being somewhat saved by Youngji, KARA cannot return to the lofty heights of their 2010-2012 days. Whilst "Mamma Mia" showed a much more energetic side to the group, this time they've done a slight shift towards a more sophisticated route whilst keeping that signature KARA sound with the excellent "Cupid".

Evidently poor Gyuri listened to "Doctor Pepper"

"Cupid" isn't too far removed from the rest of KARA's songs sonically, and is most comparable to their 2013 single "Damaged Lady" with relaxed verses which transition into a more upbeat chorus (though sadly there are no excellent guitar riffs to be found here). The biggest complement that can be given to "Cupid" is that whilst it isn't a typical KARA song, it effortlessly embodies what the group is: stylish, refined and spotless but by no means stiff or inaccessible. That said, "Cupid" feels a bit too sterile; the song has been polished and cleaned so thoroughly that it's almost as if some of the vibrancy has faded out in the process, leaving us with a pleasing but faded colour that leaves us wondering if it could have been more appealing than it really is.

As if any of these four would need Cupid's help, though.

KARA are rarely praised for their talent but easily deliver here; Seungyeon and Gyuri are hardly Mariah and Whitney but their charming voices still add colour to the melody, whilst Hara and Youngji support from the rear nicely. An unexpected surprise is that Youngji has a rap break towards the end of the song, and what's more unexpected is that it actually works really well: a lot of idol rappers really go hard in the rap break and either kill the momentum in the song or kill my poor ears in an attempt to add some unnecessary swag-lite to the song, but Youngji's solo is blissfully subdued and whilst it doesn't add too much to the song it's probably one of the least offensive rap breaks in K-Pop history, which I'm incredibly thankful for. In fact, I'd actually like to see more of this from Youngji; in the "Day & Night" mini-album the poor girl barely got a look in, but when Gyuri and Seungyeon are not only more competent but infinitely more interesting vocally, having her get more singing lines won't really contribute to KARA's music but by becoming the resident rapper she'll hopefully be able to make much more of an impact than she would if she simply sang a handful of lines in each song.

KARA turn up the sex appeal for the video, but thankfully avoid possible slut shaming.

One thing the group undoubtedly don't lack in is visuals, and the MV is a feast for sore eyes. It's a given that the four members look absolutely stunning, in fact it'd be a real challenge to make any of the four women look remotely unflattering; DSP could dress them up in bin bags and they'd still look like divine angels sent down by God himself to show us heathens the meaning of true beauty. KARA are commonly described as doll-like thanks to their pristine image, and the MV for "Cupid" takes this literally as the members make us feel inferior in a grand total of six different backdrops, four solo sets and two dance sets. The same can be said for the video as for the song: flawless to a fault, but still very enjoyable and well-suited to the group's image. No complaints here.

"No, these roses aren't for Jackson, piss off"

If KARA are to scale back up to the level at their peak and also beat all the girl groups that are trying to reach similar heights, they won't do it with "Cupid"; stiff competition from the likes of SHINee, BIGBANG and IU as well as what seems to be a generally positive but underwhelming reception means that it probably won't be a big hit. However, it's a huge relief to see that ultimately KARA are still going strong, and hopefully will stay in the game for a good while yet.