English-language songs and Western artist collaborations are commonplace in today's K-pop market, but this feels like one of the industry's more random products. IVE have teamed up with American rapper Saweetie for a cover of Swedish duo Icona Pop's 2013 hit All Night.
Here's the thing... I would love if K-pop's girl groups started making songs that sounded like All Night, but I don't think this single needs a straight-up cover. Even after a decade, it still feels too new for a makeover unless you're doing something drastically different with it. Apart from a new second verse, this version feels too loyal to the original. I was a big fan of Icona Pop's early-10's work, so that alone drags All Night over the line. But without Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo's gritty, impassioned vocals the song loses much of its charm.
Let's talk about the vocal production here. It's... a choice. IVE have proven their vocal prowess, but this mix feels overly artificial and makes it sound like one of those knockoff versions of famous songs sung by session musicians. Or worse... Kidz Bop. Even Saweetie's verse is oddly processed and robbed of all texture. This may have been a choice, as genres like hyperpop often play with heavy-handed vocal effects. But if this was the case, the production should be much weirder and bolder. This version has a plastic, Barbie-esque tone that's very on trend but too sanitized to leave any real impression.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 6 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
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