QUEENDOM Round 2 REVIEW: Feminism Sparked, Rules Broken, and More

중앙일보

입력

업데이트

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Mnet's Queendom finally aired the second round of the competition, which spanned through episode 3 and 4. In the second round, the 6 participants were grouped into pairs and the assigned two groups would perform each other's songs. The pairs were the following: AOA and Mamamoo, Lovelyz and Oh My Girl, (G)Idle and Park Bom.

Which girl group will get kicked off the show?

Here are the main takeaways from this round:

AOA Makes A Feminist Statement

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

AOA has been one of most objectified girl groups in the industry. Songs like 'Short Skirt' only provoked such behavior and their general concept always leaned towards the traditionally 'feminine' appeal. However, they decided to deviate from their familiar colors and made quite a political statement through this round's performance, singing a remix of Mamamoo's 'Egotistic.'

From the very first verse, it was clear that they no longer wanted to be the subject of such misogynistic treatment. Jimin starts the performance with a memorable rap bit. She states, "I don't want to be a flower that'll wither, I'm a tree," indicating her refusal to be objectified as a delicate being that men feel the need to take care of.

Already impressed within the first few seconds, Mamamoo's HweeIn expresses her approval for the remix.

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

The performance just gets better from then. Coordinated in black suits, the girls take complete control over the stage as they sing along to the lyrics detailing disdain towards men who mistreat women.

Mid-performance appears 5 drag queens. However, the suited-up women clearly outnumber - not to mention outshine - the 5 men on stage, creating an empowering imagery.

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Check out their performance in the video below!

Special Guest Appears During Park Bom's Performance

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

In the previous episode, Park Bom hinted that she might recruit a friend to help her out in the next round - and she kept her word. Although her mystery guest wasn't a former 2NE1 member as many fans speculated, the guest successfully managed to shock the audience as well as the other participants.

In the middle of the performance, rapper Cheetah magically appeared and owned the rap portion of the performance. The rapper helped fill the stage presence which Bom, who was performing the originally multi-singer-song alone, could have struggled with otherwise. The duo showed amazing chemistry on stage and the shock component of a special guest cameo certainly worked in Bom's favor.

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Check out their performance in the video below!

Mamamoo's Sexy Twist

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

What stood out in Mamamoo's performance was the way in which each of the four members highlighted their own unique features. They managed to create the perfect remix of AOA's 'Good Luck' to suit their own style and vibe.

Check out their performance in the video below!

Lovelyz Performs 'Sixth Sense' By Brown Eyed Girls

Photo from Instagram

One of the rules for the second round was that all participants were to perform a song by another participant of the competition. Lovelyz and Oh My Girl were paired to swap songs but they seemed unimpressed by the assignment, the reason being that the two groups had similar vibes and thus, couldn't try something new.

However, the producer gave Lovelyz the option of choosing a song by someone outside the performance. This seemed to be somewhat of a last chance for Lovelyz, who was on the verge of dropping from the competition having had ranked last in the first round.

Lovelyz chose a classic performance-oriented song, 'Sixth Sense' by Brown Eyed Girls.

Check out their performance in the video below!

(G)Idle Stuns Once Again

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

These girls ranked first in the previous round, but they didn't let it go to their heads. They did not disappoint in terms of music selection, performance aesthetic, or stage presence. Performing a remix of 2NE1's hit song 'Fire,' they successfully impressed original singer Park Bom.

Moreover, a 3-second gif of Sujin immediately went viral after the performance aired. When you see it, you'll understand why:

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Check out their performance in the video below!

(G)Idle and Mamamoo Confess Their Love

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

After all the performances, (G)Idle approached Park Bom to tell her what an honor it was for them to see her perform their song. Bom appreciated the courtesy of a younger girl group showing their respect for her, and she showered them with compliments in return.

In the corner of the camera, however, you could see Mamamoo's HweeIn acting fidgety as she watches (G)Idle. Then she stands up and starts running towards the production staff, telling Hwasa, "I'm going to go get a sketchbook."

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Mamamoo is famous for being shy, struggling to approach other girl groups first. So instead of directly expressing their respect to AOA as (G)Idle did for Bom, HweeIn confessed her love through a sketchbook notebook, just like the famous scene in Love Actually! And AOA found their little stunt absolutely adorable.

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Oh My Girl's Traditional Hanbok

Photo from Youtube Screenshot

Unlike Lovelyz, Oh My Girl decided to stick with their pairing assignment. Nevertheless, they too were aware that the two girl groups had similar vibes and started to brainstorm ways through which they could spice things up.

The concept they landed on was perfect. The girls wore traditional Hanbok and performed Lovelyz' song 'Destiny' with a melancholic twist, a very specific vibe that only Oh My Girl could have pulled off.