Review: Postmodern Jukebox Vocalist Robyn Adele Anderson Reexamines 'Come Back Home' By 2NE1 [VIDEO]

It may come to a surprise to some people that as a musician who sings jazz reimaginings of modern pop hits with Postmodern Jukebox, I actually enjoy most of the original versions of the songs that we cover.

But I have a simple rule of thumb for good music: if a song is good to sing and dance along with, it is a song that I enjoy.

As it turns out, many K-pop songs meet this criteria, which is perhaps because so many of them resemble iconic American pop tunes.

While considering which song to review for my KpopStarz column this week, I came across a few current hits on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 that immediately upon hearing them, I could instantly pinpoint their American doppelgangers.

The one that stood out to me the most was "Come Back Home" by 2NE1, which clearly drew inspiration from not only a variety of American songs, but a variety of genres as well.

What I found most interesting about this song was how it seemed to be patched together from various elements of pop, rock and hip-hop music.

When "Come Back Home"  first starts, the synthesized vibe arpeggios might remind older generations of the opening sequence of King Harvest's "Dancing in the Moonlight."

At first, the song sounds as if it is going to be light-hearted, but the mood shifts slightly when a reggae beat is layered over the initial melody.

While reggae is normally associated with being upliftingly laid back, there is instead a sense of melancholy, almost mimicking the tone, beat, and melody of Rihanna's "Man Down." The verses are laid back enough, however, they they provide a build to the chorus in which the title of the song is sung repeatedly in a powerfully heartfelt manner.

The melody of the chorus of "Come Back Home" is not only catchy, but strangely familiar, as anyone who listens to it will most likely be reminded of a song they have heard before. Although you might not even be able to identify which one.

After hours of racking my brain and even requesting a lifeline, it became very obvious that the chord progression of the chorus is almost identical to that of the Eagles' "Hotel California."

The melody of the chorus, however, I have not been able to figure out, regardless of the fact that I feel like I've heard it a million times before.

While the verses and the chorus are fairly cohesive in terms of their instrumentation and melodic development, the song takes a completely different turn after the first chorus and breaks down into a compilation of DJ sound effects and roboticized vocals.

I personally think this part of the song is too out of place and should have been left out altogether.

The more interesting and appropriate moment of contrast, is the rap that occurs before the second verse, which is laid over an acoustic guitar and violin, creating a surprisingly beautiful and unique juxtaposition.

Although I'm not a huge fan of rap, I find it interesting how the sound has migrated from its African roots to blues to hip-hop to mainstream pop music and now K-pop, where it has shed most of its rough edge and reverted back to its original purpose of storytelling.

In addition to hip-hop, 2NE1 is also known to often incorporate elements of reggae in their music. Samples of reggae songs appear in the 2NE1 tracks "Fire" and "I Don't Care."

But there is something special about the way this sound is incorporated on "Come Back Home."

Check out the futuristic urban inspired music video for 2NE1's "Come Back Home" RIGHT HERE

Robyn Adele Anderson is the lead singer of the genre-bending New York City musical collective Postmodern Jukebox. The group has received over 60 million YouTube views for their innovative jazz, doo-wop and soul reinventions of modern pop hits, including "Gangnam Style" by Psy.

Tags
Postmodern Jukebox
Robyn Adele Anderson
2NE1
Come Back Home
Come Back Home MV
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