Top Combine

When I checked out my comprehensive Eastern-Western-pop-music-update website yinyuetai.com, I was psyched to see that one of my favorite C-pop groups had come out with a new song. Top Combine went MIA after debuting in 2009 with their song "Cotton Candy," and now they're back with "At Least I Still Have You." When I saw their new music video, I noticed that a lot had changed since their debut. First of all, their original five-person boyband had become a four-person group. The five members, Li Mao, Zhang Yuan, Ma Xueyang, Lin Zhoucheng, and Korean member Kim Eunsung were  chosen back in 2009 from a singing competition, with the exception of Kim Eunsung. Earlier this year, Li Mao, whose initial career choice was acting, left the group to pursue his acting dream. Li Mao was the rapper of the group, so with him gone, the new song lacked a rap section. I was used to the Korean pop song format (which Top Combine's new song seemed to follow) of a long melody leading up to a breakout of rap and kept expecting to hear the rap part in their new song. Naturally, I never heard it, but I didn't feel that this took away from the song at all. In fact, I thought that it made it stronger. Since the song was supposed to be very sorrowful and melodic, a random, energetic rap in the middle of the song would have seemed out of place. 

Another change I noticed in the group was that of its musical style. "Cotton Candy" was literally a very sweet song that gave off a calm and happy vibe. However, "At Least I Still Have You" is darker and more depressing, contrasting dramatically with Top Combine's debut style. Even the overall theme of the music video for "At Least I Still Have You" is black and white, with the members wearing mainly these two colors. Top Combine certainly has changed a lot. 

"Cotton Candy" (至上励合 is Top Combine's name in Chinese):

"At Least I Still Have You":

 

-Sherry