MAMAMOOSIC: White Wind

On March 4th, 2019, promotion for Mamamoo's 9th EP, White Wind, began. Preceded by Yellow Flower, Red Moon, and BLUE;S, this was the last EP in a four-album series titled "Four Seasons, Four Colors". In this year-long project, each album was designed to highlight one of the four group members, one of four colors, and one of four seasons. For this final installment, the album White Wind evokes the winter season, the color white, the nature force "wind", and highlights Wheein's role. On this particular album, each season is also represented by one of the tracks: "Bad Bye" - fall, "My Star - summer, "Waggy" - spring, and "25" - winter.

Mamamoo's creator/producer Kim Do-Hoon wrote and performed on half of the songs on the album, with the remaining tracks coming from other RBW artists (including the female duo Cosmic Sound/Cosmic Girl and frequent Mamamoo writer/producer Park Woo Sang). Lyrically, Moonbyul wrote raps to five of the six tracks on the album, while Solar helped write lyrics for the title track "Gogobebe" and Wheein co-wrote the lyrics to her solo track "25". The songs "Gogobebe" and "25" were each promoted through MVs (although Park Woo Sang also later released an MV for "4season (Outro)" on November 28).

The final phase of the Four Seasons project began on April 19th, when Mamamoo debuted a new stage production in Seoul titled "Four Seasons F/W" (with the "F/W" referencing the fall and winter installments). This production included new songs and arrangements different from the earlier "S/S" concerts. After additional dates in Singapore, Daegu and Taiwan, the final shows of the Four Seasons project took place in Japan on August 11th and 13th (although by this time they had already begun working with the "Queendom" TV program for broadcast in the fall).

White Wind

Like their previous albums during this period, White Wind continues to feature Mamamoo's modern approach to a wide spectrum of genres, including R&B soul, Bossa nova, reggaeton, "girl crush" anthems and house electronic music. What makes Mamamoo unique is their ability to meld these differing styles into an organic whole and still retain their own identity. At the same time, they also are confident enough to show their "goofier" side (in particular in songs like "Waggy", in which they dress in odd/hilarious costumes during some performances).

(In the notes below, the vocal line distributions are not exact, but meant more as a guide.)

1. "Where R U" (lyrics by Cosmic Sound/Cosmic Girl/Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Cosmic Sound/Cosmic Girl): This mid-tempo R&B song is driven by syncopated accents and some funky background guitar. Each chorus is preceded by a more "chill" pre-chorus section without downbeats. Lyrically, this is a love song in which the speaker pines for a soulmate, and speaks as if he/she is nearby listening.

English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics

Guitar: Park Ki Tae, Keyboard: Cosmic Sound
Background vocals: Cosmic Girl

0:00: Intro chorus (Solar, Hwasa) over pizzicato string accents and distant percussion.
0:20: 1st verse (Wheein, Solar) with syncopated beats and synth swirls.
0:40: 2nd verse (Hwasa) with added guitar ornaments.
0:50: Pre-chorus (Wheein) with relaxed beat and held/bubbling synth layers.
1:00: Chorus (Solar, Hwasa), similar to verse groove.
1:20: 3rd verse (Moonbyul) with faster vocal cadence and added synth ornaments, 4th verse (Wheein, Solar).
1:50: Pre-chorus (Hwasa).
2:00: Chorus (Wheein, Moonbyul).
2:20: Bridge (Solar, Wheein, Hwasa), or 5th verse with rhythm variation (drums lay out first part).
2:43: Chorus (Hwasa, Wheein).

2. "Gogobebe" (고고베베) (title track) (lyrics by Kim Do-hoon/Solar/Moonbyul, music by Kim Gun-Mo/Kim Do-hoon, arrangement by Kim Do-Hoon): This is a reggaeton song spiced up with sharply-articulated Latin guitar riffing. It also has some very interesting accented syncopations, especially in the second half cadences of the chorus parts. Like many of Mamamoo's songs during this period, the song harmony essentially repeats, while the rhythm layers are varied from section to section to create dynamism. Older listeners may also notice that the song uses a hook from Kim Gun-Mo's song "Jjang Gah" ("Zzanga") as a melodic motif. Lyrically, the song urges listeners to let go of their inhibitions and just have fun (the rap section also celebrates Mamamoo's debut date, "6/19"). A rock version of this song was later premiered at the MGMA Genie Music Awards. From a performance perspective, this song also features a new evolution in their choreography (designed by Mina Myoung).

English lyrics / MV / Color-coded lyrics / Relay Dance / PV / Choreography (Dance Cover Contest) / Studio CHOOM / Studio 1 Million Casual Choreography (Japanese)

Guitar/Bass/Drum programming/Keyboards: Kim Do-Hoon
Background vocals: Mamamoo

0:00: Intro (Solar, Hwasa) using chorus outro (minimalist synth accents and Latin guitar riffing).
0:11: 1st verse (Wheein, Solar), guitar drops out in first half.
0:30: 2nd verse (Moonbyul, Hwasa) with added bass and synth layers, rhythm break.
0:50: Chorus with syncopated accents in cadences.
1:09: Chorus outro, drum break.
1:22: 3rd verse with rap (Moonbyul, Solar/Hwasa).
1:41: Chorus.
2:02: Chorus outro.
2:12: Bridge (Moonbyul rap over verse variation with bass lead melody over smoothed out rhythm track, vocal break (Hwasa).
2:34: Chorus.
2:54: Chorus outro, coda with arpeggios.

3. "Waggy" (쟤가 걔야) (lyrics by Kim Do-Hoon/Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Kim Do-Hoon): This is an infectious and bouncy Bossa nova tune with a catchy chorus and a unique bridge featuring Solar's "animal noises", topped with a melodic trumpet solo. Throughout, two acoustic guitars intertwine in bouncy rhythms over a popping bass line. The bridge also has a nice interlude where the song briefly becomes a soulful piano ballad. Lyrically, the song is about easy-going, sunny times, and implies the kind of innocent love associated with small animals. Finally, the first verse opens with the line "Je m’baladais sur l’avenue", which is a quote from "Les Champs-Élysées", a 1969 song by Joe Dassin.

English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics

Nylon Guitar: Jung Jae-Pil/Young, Acoustic guitar: Kim Do-Hoon, Bass: Choi Hoon, Trumpet: Kim Sung Min
Background vocals: Mamamoo

0:00: Intro with drum and acoustic guitar riffing.
0:05: Chorus over Bossa nova rhythm groove.
0:20: 1st verse (Hwasa/Solar) with arpeggiated guitar and kick drum.
0:36: 2nd verse (Moonbyul, Wheein) with added bass and hand-claps.
0:51: Chorus with added snare and vocal effects, vocal break.
1:06: 3rd verse (Moonbyul) with arpeggiated guitar and kick drum, melodic bass enters.
1:22: 4th verse (Moonbyul, Hwasa).
1:38: Chorus.
1:53: Bridge vamp with animal sounds (Solar), trumpet solo over guitars.
2:16: 5th verse (Wheein, Solar) over piano and trumpet.
2:36: Chorus (trumpet ornaments continue).
2:52: Verse fragment.

4. "25" (lyrics by Park Woo-sang/Wheein, music/arrangement by Park Woo-sang): This is a "dreamy" R&B groove featuring Wheein as a soloist, backed by softly-echoed electric guitar chords over an electronic beat. Written by Wheein to celebrate her 25th year, she states that, "It's about longing for the past days that were naive and innocent, but also simultaneously showing that I love my current self." Producer Park Woo Sang would later work more extensively with Wheein on her 2021 solo album Redd.

English lyrics / MV / Color-coded lyrics

Guitar: Jung Jae-Pil/Young, Piano/Drum programming: Park Woo-sang
Background vocals: Wheein

0:00: Intro and 1st verse over sliding electric guitar chords with echo, perc, el. piano.
0:23: 2nd verse with alternate cadence.
0:39: Pre-chorus (piano and bass melody without drums in first half).
0:54: Chorus with filtered vocalise ornament.
1:28: 2nd verse (bass pulses).
2:00: Pre-chorus.
2:15: Chorus.
2:46: Outro over electric guitar arpeggios, fading into echo.

5. "Bad Bye" (lyrics by Kang B.O./Moonbyul, music by Kim Do-Hoon, Kang B.O., arrangement by Kim Do Hoon, Jeon Da-Woon, Jeong Da-lim, Jang Dae-il): This is a soulful R&B tune driven by a strong piano line and sculpted with a deep "808" groove. Moonbyul has a more extended rap section in this song as well. Lyrically, this sad-but-resolute song describes circumstances leading to a "bad" break up, therefore "Good bye" is more accurately expressed as "Bad bye".

English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics

Piano/synthesizer: Kim Do-Hoon

Background vocals: Wheein, Hwasa

0:00: Piano intro (filtered).
0:14: 1st verse (Wheein, Hwasa) over piano rhythm and understated kick drums.
0:42: Pre-chorus (Wheein, Solar, Hwasa) with heavier beats and added electronic textures.
1:09: Chorus (Wheein, Solar) with additional percussion, piano and synth textures.
1:40: 2nd verse rap (Moonbyul) over house beats.
1:54: Rap (more melodic) continues with added synth textures.
2:07: Pre-chorus (Hwasa, Wheein, Solar).
2:35: Chorus (Hwasa, Solar).
3:02: Bridge with rap (Moonbyul) and adlib parts, vocal breaks (Hwasa, Solar) over accented cadences.
3:33: Chorus (Wheein, Solar) with vocal ad libs.
4:01: Outro (Wheein, Hwasa), drums drop out, piano fragments continue.

6. "My Star" (lyrics by Cosmic Sound, Cosmic Girl, Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Cosmic Sound, Cosmic Girl): This song has is a "fierce" groove with complex drum programming and heavy downbeats in the choruses. Brass accents add to the energetic choruses, hearkening back to aggressive earlier tracks like "Taller Than You" and "Sleep In the Car". However, the bridge appears in two sections, one featuring an acoustic guitar line and the other highlighting processed synth textures. The lyrics expresses the speaker's deep love for another, as if he/she were a "star" (the rap section also mentions December 22, which is Moonbyul's birthday).

English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics

Keyboard: Cosmic Sound

Background vocals: Cosmic Girl

0:00: Intro with accented synth stabs.
0:13: 1st verse (Hwasa, Solar, Moonbyul) over house bass and percussion, additional synth swells enter.
0:39: Pre-chorus (Wheein) without downbeats.
0:52: Chorus (Solar, Wheein) with heavy down beat and brass accents, short spoken break (Moonbyul).
1:21: 2nd verse (Moonbyul, Hwasa) with added synth string accents.
1:47: Pre-chorus (Solar, Wheein).
2:00: Chorus (Hwasa).
2:14: Bridge (Solar, Wheein) floating beats with acoustic guitar following line.
2:26: Bridge develops with reverse swells.
2:39: Chorus (Hwasa, Wheein) with added vocal ad libs, end vocal harmony break.

7. "4season (Outro)" (lyrics/music/arrangement by Park Woo-sang): This brief ending piece opens and closes with jazzy electric piano, but the middle sections are enhanced with trip-hop textures and trap hip hop percussion. The mood here recalls "vintage" Mamamoo (such as tracks "Just" and Memory"). The lyrics celebrate good memories and cite the "Four Seasons, Four Colors" themes star, wind, flower, and sun.

English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics / MV

Piano/Drum programming: Park Woo Sang
Background vocals: Mamamoo

0:00: Electric piano intro.
0:11: 1st verse with added drum machine and synth swells, bass.
0:32: 2nd verse.
0:43: Chorus with heavy bass accents.
1:03: Piano outro.

4colors

On August 7th, 2019, Mamamoo’s first Japanese album, 4colors, was released. Aside from featuring the solo and title tracks from each of the 4 Colors mini-albums, it also included bonus tracks from their Japanese singles ("Décalcomanie", "Wind Flower") and the new song "Nada Sousou" (which Solar had earlier performed as a solo track on her Solar's Emotion Part 6 EP).

"Starry Night" (Japanese ver.)
"Be Calm" (Hwa Sa solo) (from Yellow Flower)
"Egotistic" (Japanese ver.)
"Selfish (feat. Seulgi of Red Velvet)" (Moonbyul solo) (from Red Moon)
"Wind Flower" (from Japanese "Wind Flower" single)
"HELLO" (Solar solo) (from Blue;s)
"Gogobebe" (Japanese ver.)
"25” (Whee In solo) (from White Wind)
"Décalcomanie" (Japanese ver.) (from Japanese "Décalcomanie" single)
"You Don't Know Me" (from Japanese "Décalcomanie" single)
"Sleep Talk" (from Japanese "Wind Flower" single)
"Nada Sousou"

Notable Releases During this Era

190314 White Wind, 9th Mini-Album, "Gogobebe" single
190314 "Gogobebe" and "Waggy" [Media Showcase]
190314 "Gogobebe" and "Waggy" Comeback stage [M Countdown]
190315 "Um Oh Ah Yeh", "Taller Than You", "Yes I Am", "Aze Gag", "Gogobebe" [Coin Karaoke X MAMAMOO]"
190316 “You Are Crying” (그대 우나봐), Hwa Sa [Sketchbook X Hwa Sa, Vol 9]
190319 “Snow”, Moonbyul, Junghoon [KBS In Sync/Kiss Ep. 3]
190323 “Shampoo Fairy” (샴푸의 요정), Hwa Sa [Sketchbook X Hwa Sa, Vol 10]
190326 “You, Clouds, Rain”, Moonbyul, Lee Hongki [KBS In Sync/Kiss Ep. 4]
190502 “4:44” (4시 44분), Park Bom (Feat. Whee In)
190523 “Two Girl Love A Man” (한사람을 사랑하고 있어) (PROD Kim Hyun ChuI), Whee In x Hwa Sa (OST)
190524 “Eve's Warning” (이브의 경고), Park Mikyung x Moonbyul x HA:TFELT [Rewritten Charts Show]
190524 “Chan Chan Chan”, Solar [Rewritten Charts Show]
190525 "25" MV
190704 “WOW” [Search WWW OST Part 5]
190715 “CASH LEAFLET” [CF Song] (full)
190723 “Talk” (Khalid), Hwa Sa [Birthday Gift]
190724 “Gleam” (다 빛이나) [Davich Glasses CF]

190724 "Egotistic (Hwasa Guide version)" [Fancafe B-day gift]
190731 “HAPPY NOW”, HA:TFELT (MV Feat. Moonbyul)

190801 "Wind Flower (Acoustic)", "Gogobebe (Rock)" [MGMA Genie Music Awards]

190802 "月亮代表我的心", Solar [SBS Super Concert Hong Kong]

190802 "달콤해"(미미일소흔경성 OST), Solar & AB6IX DaeHwi [SBS Super Concert Hong Kong]

190802 "Starry Night (Xtra Bass ver)" [SBS Super Concert Hong Kong]

190802 "Egotistic (Xtra Bass ver)" [SBS Super Concert Hong Kong]

190803 "Gogobebe (Live ver)" [Aramarine Festival Good Concert]
190807 4colors, 1st Japanese Album

Major Concerts (Four Seasons F/W Tour)

190419, 190420, 190421: Four Seasons F/W Concerts in Seoul

Setlist:

Paint Me
Starry Night
Spring Fever
Rainy Season
Egotistic
No More Drama
Wind Flower
Better Than I Thought
My Star
Gogobebe

Moonbyul Solo Set
Selfish
TVXQ Cover Medley (Believe + Hug + The Way U Are + Only Know This + Rising Sun)
Moon Movie (with traditional Korean drum dance prelude (Samgo Mu))
Wheein Solo Set
25
7 Rings (Ariana Grande)/Be Like Me (dance cover)
Runaway Baby (with Drum Solo) (Bruno Mars)
Drum Solo
Hwasa Solo Set
"Hwasa Show" (Medley)
Be Calm
TWIT
Solar Solo Set
My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)
Hello/Fever
Shut Up And Let Me Go (The Ting Tings)
Fire (BTS)
Taller Than You
Waggy
Never Letting Go
Star Wind Flower Sun
Um Oh Ah Yeh
Décalcomanie
Yes I Am
Words Don't Come Easy
You're The Best
Mr Ambiguous

190427: Singapore Fan Meeting Concert

190615, 190616: Four Seasons F/W Concerts in Taiwan

190727, 190728: Four Seasons F/W Concerts in Daegu ("Gleam", "I'm Your Fan", and "Immortal Song Medley" added to set list)

190811, 190813: Four Seasons "Final" in Yokohama, Osaka (Japanese versions of "Egotistic", "Wind Flower", "Gogobebe", and "Décalcomanie" as well as the 4colors tracks "You Don't Know Me", "Sleep Talk" and "Nada Sousou" added to set list)