As is common these days, VVUP made a "pre-debut" last month with the inert Doo Doom Chit. Presumably, they've saved their strongest material for their actual debut and title track Locked On is definitely an improvement upon its predecessor. That probably won't be enough to distinguish themselves from the girl group crowd, but there's potential here.
It's heartening to hear the girls attack this track. The singing is full-throated and confident, grabbing the song by the collar rather than fading into a pleasant, airy background. This makes a nice contrast with the subdued bounce of the instrumental. The arrangement occasionally struggles to blend the two in a way that feels cohesive, but it's definitely ear-catching.
The song itself is more of a question mark. The stop/start nature of the music video makes it difficult to follow, but even the audio version reveals a track constantly in flux. Tempo and energy changes keep you on your feet, usually in a good way. And by the time we reach the "don't worry" hook that forms Locked On's centerpiece, we're speeding along with nice energy. Now, all they need to do is remove that distractedly loud "brraagh!!" exclamation after the first chorus and I'd be happy to add an extra 0.25 to the rating...
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
Grade: B-
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