RIIZE are part of a vanguard of fresh fifth-gen acts that are making this year's K-pop quite exciting. Pre-release Impossible remains a certified mega-banger, while Love 119 just may be 2024's biggest grower. So far, they've managed to keep the quality remarkably high despite traversing various genres. New title track Boom Boom Bass marks the release of their first official mini album and takes us back to the groovy days of debut hit Get A Guitar. In fact, it's composed by the very same team!
Though this is very Get A Guitar coded, it actually reminds me of a different SM artist comeback. The double whammy of Impossible and Boom Boom Bass feels like an ode to SHINee's 2015 View/Married To The Music rollout. In this case, the songs are shorter and slightly less ambitious -- a product of our time, unfortunately -- but I'm certainly not going to complain about a group using SHINee as their template.
Boom Boom Bass is too short, for sure, but it packs a wallop within its slight frame. We're jolted right into the groove with a brisk verse as Wonbin's vocals pull us into the track. The chorus arrives remarkably quick, segueing naturally into the "boom boom bass" hook that's been teased repeatedly leading up to this release. The song snowballs from here, growing more rhythmically complex as the production deepens and develops. By the time we reach the song's conclusion, Boom Boom Bass is kicking up quite a funk. This is why we need a four minute version!
Still, I'll take a song that steadily grows better over one that quickly wears out its welcome. I'm already obsessing over Boom Boom Bass's MJ-esque dance break and segue into the final chorus. Impossible pulled off a similar trick, saving its biggest sucker punch for its final moments. This structure can feel frustrating at first, but tends to encourage repeat listens in the long run. Boom Boom Bass pulls this off less successfully than its superior predecessor, but RIIZE's rising fortunes earn it the same rating to start.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment