Response

          I took on this brief for numerous reasons - other than being a fan of K-Pop for nearly a decade now, I find tight turnarounds highly motivating, and I've also been wanting to attempt to write a dance-pop track for a while now as it's so different from my usual writing.

          Writing based on the two example songs proved a little challenging, likely because they instantly let me know which act this brief was likely for (as there's only one current girl group from one of the major three Korean agencies - SM, YG and JYP - who has this type of sound: Blackpink. As such, I found myself writing with their sound in mind as well as the example songs, and couldn't rework this due to the 48 hour time limit. 

          I tried to be as strict with the time constraint as possible in order to emulate receiving this brief in a professional context - starting the 48 hour time limit from the time the brief was posted, no matter what I was doing. This did ultimately result in a more structured approach (as well as a lot of work on the train!), writing drums and pacing/sectioning the song to start. This thankfully brought some familiarity to an unfamiliar genre, and by the 45 hour mark I had the song completed, including vocal melody but minus lyrics - which, as the lyrics would have to be written in Korean by someone else, wouldn't have been needed for me to submit the song had the brief still been live.

          However, as the brief wasn't live and I wanted to really challenge myself with this genre, I decided to revisit the piece at a later date to finish it as a piece in English also. This was a challenge both because it is a lyrical style I struggle to approach authentically, and because I had never attempted to write a rap before. Originally I had tapped out some potential rap patterns on a woodblock alongside the melody, which greatly helped then approach writing the raps as flow, and indeed rhythm in general, is not something that comes naturally to me.

 

Lyrics

Don’t test me unless you want claws // Don’t test me because I bite // Your demise met with applause // In the spotlight --- // --- Up on the stage I’ll be front facing, mic check // You know my flow it be high tech // Move of my hips, touch of my lips // DJ gon’ heat up the deck // Some type of machine. // Vibe like I spit gasoline. // Hype like a shot of caffeine. // Dark roastin’ the taste of y’all haters // That burn smell you later // If you’re “The Man” then I am Creator --- // --- All my ladies feel the beat in your body // Let the music make you move // Feel the rhythm take its toll // Know you’re in the starring role // Sound like fire, a live wire // Watch them lose control --- // --- They all want a piece of me (ha ha ha ha) // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me --- // --- Worldwide sexy, I ain’t flexing, it’s just fact (what?!) // You can’t help it’s something you lack (she said that?!) // Caught staring when I drop ass to the floor // You sound like Oliver asking for “more” // Silver screens, in my presence you are blessed // I’m gold, you’re bronze at best --- // --- All my ladies feel the beat in your body // Let the music make you move // Feel the rhythm take its toll // Know you’re in the starring role // Sound like fire, a live wire // Watch them lose control --- // --- They all want a piece of me (ha ha ha ha) // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me --- // --- Run the world, we take no prisoners // Dance ’til dawn, we break it down --- // --- They all want a piece of me // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me // (Ha ha ha ha) They all want a piece of me // (They wanna) They all want a piece of me // (Ha ha ha ha) They all want a piece of me.

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