One song. Every day. Alphabetical order.
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Mama (from Mama – 2012)
It would not be an overstatement to say that Mama was the song that cemented my love for K-pop. I’d dabbled with idol fare before, but this song’s bombastic mixture of Gregorian chants, heavy metal dance breaks and rock opera fervor proved too dynamic to ignore. It remains one of the most idiosyncratic debuts in K-pop, fighting against so many ideas of what we think a big pop single should be. This is SM Entertainment at their most grandiose, wrapping earth-shaking power vocals around a militant kick and jittery strings. And this is all before we hit the absolute freak-out of a bridge, which moves from electric guitar dance break to shout-rap intensity without missing a step. Seven years on, and Mama stands as a staggering piece of work, as big and bold as K-pop can go.
| Hooks | 10 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 10 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 10 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I must have an Oedipus complex because I really, really love Mama. REALLY!
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Mama makes me laugh. But in an affectionate way. It’s a real good example of the wonderful cheeziness K-pop has to offer, and of why I tend to like SM’s stuff. To me, SM is pushing forward all the time, trying new things and going places that aren’t known or safe.
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Wow, it’s been such a long time since I watched or listened to that. In retrospect, it’s really interesting to see how EXO debuted with such a strong trademark 2nd gen look (that eyeliner and hair!) and sound but so seamlessly transitioned into the trademarks of 3rd gen.
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The best debut imo.
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Wait… am I the only one who didn’t know that 마마 (Mama) means ‘Your Highness’?? I thought EXO-K’s MAMA was about their mom this whole time haha
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oh my god….. i didnt know either…. i have to admit that makes more sense than them having some weird freudian fixation 😭
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First of all, this song really knows how to get you hooked; that chant was perfection. And I love the pre-chorus with the different chant. This song is theatrical and super vivid. It makes me feel like I have superpowers while walking to it. Kai’s metal screams were something I wasn’t expecting, especially from K-pop; it added a nice touch to that dance break. No other group would have ever thought of making their group debut with such a masterpiece.
Now, don’t get me wrong, but in my eyes, I don’t think there is such a thing as a 10/10 song. I rate songs by Replayability, Sound, Delivery, Vibe, and Pacing. However, no song is a 10/10 in replayability, as at some point you’ll get tired of listening to it. This finalizes my final score…
Replayabillity 9/10
Sound 9.5/10
Delivery 10/10
Vibe 10/10
Pacing 10/10
9.75/10
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