Rapid Review: Ladies Code's "Pretty Pretty" and "Bad Girl"

Welcome to another Rapid Review, dear reader. Continuing our journey into 2nd generation Kpop, we’re checking out Ladies’ Code. Today, I’m reviewing their first two albums, “Bad Girl” and “Pretty Pretty.” I initially planned to only review the first album, but the run time isn’t even 15 minutes.

Ladies’ Code debuted as a five-member group in February 2013 under Polaris Entertainment. Interestingly, some of the ladies had already made a name for themselves prior to debut. Sojung was a top-eight finalist of “The Voice of Korea” season one, and RiSe represented Japan in the Miss Korea competition in 2009. The other three, EunB, Ashley and Zuny, all trained in various other companies pre-debut.

I’m ashamed to say that Ladies’ Code wasn’t on my radar until after the tragic car accident that claimed EunB and Rise in 2014. I listened to their first comeback as three and really liked their sound. This, however, is the first time I’ve listened to their early work. Let’s explore it together, shall we?

Review

One of the problems I frequently encounter during these reviews is poor production that crowds or distracts from the vocals. Fortunately, that is nowhere to be seen here. While the albums explore many different genres, the ladies’ vocals are never outdone.

I also applaud them for their diverse sound. “Bad Girl,” their debut song, is a jazzy dance track that just makes me want to move. This might be the loudest their production gets, but it’s still mellow enough to hear the harmonies.

“Pretty Pretty” is a disco dance track, something I’m always a sucker for. Following that is “Hate You,” an EDM ballad. It reminds me of 2NE1’s ‘I Love You” but with a softer and quieter chorus. I’m actually surprised how quickly it got stuck in my head.

Even their album closers, “I’m Fine Thank You” and “I Won’t Cry,” warm my heart and I don’t even like ballad tracks that much! I rate these albums as 9.5. I really recommend giving Ladies’ Code a listen, reader. You could easily place these songs along with more current tracks. I’m not giving it a full 10 only because they’re too short! Combined, these albums are only 30 minutes long. What gives, Polaris?

High Points

Supergirl, I’m Fine Thank You, Hate You

Low Points

Polaris Club, Dada Li,

In Conclusion

A great debut with a diverse sound that still holds up 7 years later. A must-listen for fans looking for more girl groups to love.

Youtube [1][2][3], Soompi

(Editor's note: Originally published on MacGMagazine July 20, 2020)