Review: “Supa Dupa Diva”

Here’s somewhat of a challenge. My first review for a girl group will be Dal Shabet’s “Supa Dupa Diva.” The 6 lovely ladies of Dal Shabet launched their MV on January 3rd, 2011 followed by their debut on the 7th. I will be honest and say that I know nothing about this group. So why am I reviewing them? It’s because this song has been stuck in my brain for the past few days (not necessarily in a bad way.) Sometimes the fun of doing music reviews comes from reviewing groups/artists that you know nothing about. It’s something completely fresh to work with!

Many girl groups debut with a cute image. Dal Shabet is no exception. From each member’s profile pictures to the first 5 seconds of the MV, the concept just screams cute. To tell you the truth, I was a bit reluctant to listen to the song because I immediately imagined the same amount of cuteness that other girl groups have already established in the kpop world (there’s only so much cotton candy, fluffy, pink, sweetness that a girl can take!) However I went ahead, watched the MV and although it may not be my favorite song, it’s very catchy. Just as a random comment, Dal Shabet reminded me of ice cream for some weird reason (sorbet, shabet?)

The song has this old school, retro feel to it. It has a bold start in the beginning that reminds me of classic variety shows. The “supa dupa diva” in the background is mysterious and flirty which adds a nice touch. I’m so sorry that I don’t know the names of the members yet, because the first girl who sings the first verse caught my attention. Her voice is not your typical “pop” voice. It’s very animated, has a “fluffy” consistency to it (yes I know, fluffy is a weird word to use), and overall she has a very sweet voice. Again with my weird preferences for specific lines in songs, the way she says “so hot girl~” is so cute and sassy that I love to sing along just for that part. The chorus is really easy to follow so it makes a great song to sing along to. I like how there’s a brief beat boxing segment that separates the chorus from the next verse. It gives an edgy, even sexy quality to an otherwise cute-heavy song. The contrast of rhythms and voices within each verse really help bring life to the song.

With words such as “supa dupa diva~” sprinkled throughout the whole song, you can probably guess what the song is about. However, with the help from English-translated lyrics, my thoughts were as expected. It’s all about girl power, ladies (e-high fives!)

Although I mentioned before that the song incorporates that cutesy style that we see a lot, I like how the MV has that retro feel to it. You have an old school TV in the beginning (that’s probably why I thought of those classic, variety show performances)  and lots of bright, bold colors (of course, for such an upbeat song, that’s exactly what you want ^^.)

Overall it’s a really catchy song! As a plus, the dancing is really sassy and cute so it’ll be something really fun to learn too.

Congratulations to Dal Shabet for their debut!