NCT Wish debuted earlier this year as NCT's final fixed unit. Straddling the line between Japanese and Korean promotions, they appear to be following NCT Dream's bright sound template rather than the angular experimentation of units like 127. February's funky Wish was a decent start, but new single Songbird feels like their true arrival.
I've noticed a recent trend of stabbing rhythm guitar in K-pop tracks. For me, this approach has its roots in George Michael's seminal 1987 hit Faith but songs like Songbird seem to draw more from early Neptunes' productions like Justin Timberlake's 2002 solo debut Like I Love You. It's a sound I really enjoy and works especially well when paired with SM Entertainment's bombastic arrangements. Songbird utilizes this chugging guitar most obviously in its verses, which pulse with a bounding energy that's instantly addictive.
From here, Songbird slows things for its vocal-rich pre-chorus. I'm not sure how well this works as a set-up, but it doesn't matter much because the track quickly volleys to a standout centerpiece that nearly makes you forget everything that came before. The stacked vocals here have enormous appeal, crafting a colossal sound that belies NCT Wish's young age. The complex vocal outro and transition into the second verse nearly knocked me flat on first listen. An enthusiastic rap maintains this energy, backed by that blazing guitar. Songbird loses a bit of steam during an unfocused and overlong bridge, but this isn't enough to dull its overall effect. SM Entertainment is having a fantastic year musically, and now this good fortune seems to be extending to Japan as well.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
Grade: A-
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