Review: f(x)–“Hot Summer”

Something to take everyone’s mind off of all the cold weather!


Did you like the song?
I guess all the snow outside is making people nostalgic for songs like this one, because I’ve received lots of requests to review it. Well, here you go, completely out of season!

“Hot Summer” is a cover of Monrose’s song of the same name, except with an entirely different meaning of the word “hot.” It’s f(x)’s follow-up track to their “Danger,” which I enjoyed much more, but in terms of what I liked about the songs, they’re basically opposites. I liked the chorus of “Danger” more than the verses, but in “Hot Summer” I really like the verses but hate the main chorus. The verses are nice and sound kind of edgy, and I like the end of the chorus.

But I absolutely cannot stand that main chorus, “hot summer, a hot hot summer” repeated a billion times. Seriously, listening to the end of this song (from 3:13 on) where that’s all they repeated over and over again was almost like torture for me. So repetitive and boring. (And what is that “ehhh, ohhh” in the background during the verses?! LOL-tastic.)

Victoria, Luna, Krystal, Sulli, and Amber.
What was your favorite part of the song?
I like the very end of the chorus (“hot, hot, hot, hot summer”). That part sounds really cool. The chorus that comes before it, not so much (in my opinion).

Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
AMBERRR, I LOVE YOU. PLEASE MARRY ME. I am dead serious. I love Amber. I love her tomboy concept; I love her personality; I love her awesome fluency in English. I love that SM didn’t force her to wear high heels and dresses, that she can have her hair as short as she wants, and that it’s now her thing in each of f(x)’s new music videos. She basically refutes all stereotypes about Kpop girls just by existing, and though I like the other girls in the group, she’s really what makes f(x) such a special and unusual group to me.

Now about the English. Obviously Amber’s rap is great. But in the verses, is “sunglass” Korean for “sunglasses”? I don’t know. I’ve seen “sunglass” used as an adjective, i.e. “Sparkles are the next big thing in sunglass fashion.” But it’s weird, no one really uses that, and as far as I know, sunglasses are plural without a singular form, like pants or scissors. (Edit: Thanks to Jay in the comments for this info: the Korean word for sunglasses is 선글라스, which is pronounced “sun-gul-la-su.” Useful info.)


Krystal in sunglasses.
Also, this line is in Korean, but I just died laughing: “Let’s show the sweaty foreigners where to go.” It’s funny because it’s true. When I (attempt to) do these dances, I sweat so much more than the idols seem to.

Victoria, Amber, Krystal, Sulli, and Luna.
Did you like the video?
Oh my God, what is going on in this video? I mean, I appreciate that at least they’re not in the sterile white/geometric box for much of the video. However, basically nothing in this reminds me of a “hot summer.” The girls are “outside” in one of the three sets—good. But they’re outside…on a random street corner of a soundstage city with random set pieces that make no sense in the context of the song.

You know what SM music video I liked that reminded me of a hot summer? Super Junior’s “Dancing Out.” In that one, the boys travel to Malaysia, wander around what is clearly a real city, dance together as real cars pass by, and end it all by jumping in a pool. That’s more what I wanted to see f(x) doing, enjoying themselves outside.

Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
Like New.F.O in “Bounce,” f(x) are an invading army from outer space.

Luna is modeling the aliens’ natural look here.
This is the interior of their spaceship:

Very high tech.
Their intentions are malicious: they want to take over Earth with their evil alien weapons from space, like their strange pink tank. Amber is clearly their bloodthirsty general, with the bullets hanging from her hat and her army gear.

None shall live.
Except they are undone by a simple thing about the Earth’s atmosphere: it’s damn hot. Instead of unleashing the carnage they had intended upon the unsuspecting human race, the f(x) aliens are desperate to cool off and are willing to try anything, including doing a very silly dance indeed. The foolish humans join them in their dance, and f(x) mind-controls them into setting off a fire hydrant. Soon they will cool down and continue to wreak their vengeance!

Biding their time before the vengeance-wreaking.
What. Too far-fetched? YOU EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THAT TANK IS DOING THERE, THEN.

Was the dance cool and distinctive?
The gif speaks for itself.


What are they going with their legs? :/
Everything makes sense, like wiping their sweaty brows because it’s hot (except they’re not actually sweating), but the leg thing is weird. Distinctive, I guess, but definitely not cool. They look like there’s something wrong with them.

Do the members look good?
Good, but again, what they’re wearing is generally inappropriate for the song. Most of the time they’re wearing at least three layers of stuff or jackets, Amber wears a beanie at one point, Victoria is wearing a leather dress, Luna and Krystal start wearing metal-studded things I would suggest are more appropriate for a biker convention than the beach…these fabrics do not breathe, costume designers! If it were actually a hot summer, f(x) would be having heatstroke in these get-ups.

You are not leaving this house looking like that, young ladies! Wear something skimpier! (Yup, I would make the best mom ever.)
Which member stood out the most?
The tank Amber clearly stood out the most when she was focused on, but I don’t think she got that much screentime in comparison to Krystal or Victoria, so I have to give it to Krystal.

Krystal with the tank.
Do you like it enough to buy the song?
If only that pesky repetitive chorus would go away, I very much like the rest of the song.

Any ending thoughts?
Man, I can’t believe Krystal is SNSD’s Jessica’s little sister. That family’s got great genes, huh? If I had to guess, though, I would have said that Krystal and SNSD’s Yoona look like sisters.

Boyfriend’s one-liner:
“Hot pink tiger tank! Awesome.”