Review: Queendom's "Chiki Chiki Ban Ban" may be the Song of the Summer
Queendom is a special unit from Avex, featuring members from FAKY, lol and GENIC. The unit is massive, so what is the reason for its creation? Well, it is the theme song for the anime adaptation of manga Ya Boy Kongming!, following legendary Chinese military genius Zhuge Liang (also known as Kongming, hence the title) returning in contemporary Tokyo to train a young singer to succeed in the live music scene.
Uh... WHAT?
That said, the drama has received quite a lot of praise (Patrick St. Michael explains some of its charms here), and the theme song has garnered quite a lot of support too. Given the utterly strange premise (even stranger when you are literally reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms at the same time, like I am), the song is a remake of Hungarian artist Jolly's 2013 song Ciki Ciki Bam Bam. I think this is more of a top-down remake, replacing the original's sad attempt at reggaeton with shimmering synth-pop. It is a ridiculous idea that somehow works.
Part of that comes down to a melody that is fully willing to get into the act. As with the best TV show openings, Chiki Chiki Bang Bang is both over-the-top and triumphant, while at the same time holding potential for emotional value and nostalgia. Chiki Chiki Ban Ban lets you know exactly how it is going to be from moment one, opening with traditional Chinese instrumentation, but soon dropping into the chorus. What a chorus! There is not really one central hook here, and the "Chiki Chiki Ban Ban"'s should get quite annoying (and they kind of do), but there is just enough restraint to make sure things work.
The verses are the true highlight of the song, bumping with just enough melodic heft and yearning to come off as earnest rather than copycat. The production here is the highlight, reminiscent of last year's incredible Play Back. Of course, it helps that every element here is performed with much panache. There is even some traditional Eastern instrumentation buried in the mix. The vocal performance is not anything spectacular, but each member provides just enough charm for Chiki Chiki Ban Ban to become a potential song-of-the-summer.
Rating: 9/10
Purchase the manga here! (Sorry, as far as I know, the song is not on Amazon Music)
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