[Review] [Single] VIXX – “On And On”

K-pop was kind enough to debut trillions of groups for audiences last year, and among those was boy-band VIXX. It hasn’t been long since their entrance into the Korean music industry – they debuted in May 2012 with their first single, “Super Hero” – but they’re already back with their first single of the new year, “On And On“.

This song, as humiliatingly masochistic as it is – the basic gist is that VIXX perpetually fall in love with the exact same sadistic tease, knowing full well that they’re going to get hurt by her in the end, and yet they do it anyway – carries an incredibly addicting beat to it that is not easy to put down. Quite different from the highly electronic jams of last year, VIXX’s “On And On” ventures down a far more traditional K-pop path that focuses more on the group’s vocal presence and utilizes smart vocal processing (common with every group under SM Entertainment; hence, the overwhelming resemblance to music by EXO and Super Junior) to ultimately gel together a sweet and gratifying pop home run.

The verses are as grand as the choruses, with a strong emphasis on the down beats, and build up beautifully to undeniable ear-worm bliss. Even better is the “I need therapy” hook, which chimes in after the second chorus, adding an even more engaging element to an already sticky single. The level of energy never lets up and it’s impressive to hear such fresh voices tackle a song of this caliber and pull it off.

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McRoth is a whore for Korean music and is best known for writing Korean music reviews on his site McRoth’s Residence. You can e-mail this gay at mcrothsresidence@gmail.com or stalk him on Twitter @rothsresidence and Facebook.