Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
There’s some irony in calling a song “The New Era,” but crafting it to sound like every other song from the last era. I’ve had my issues with GOT7’s Korean discography of late, but their Japanese releases are really just on another level. Sales-wise, they seem to be successful, but I can’t wrap my brain around this obnoxious sound the group continues to peddle.
“The New Era” is GOT7’s second J-pop single without the overworked Jackson, though it feels tailored to his hyped-up style of rapping. The song opens with a deafening mix of percussion and abrasive synths, leading into an atonal verse that largely consists of the group shouting at us with no real structure or purpose beyond getting “lit.” The chorus fares a little better, as we get a (very) brief injection of melody. Unfortunately, this is framed by two of the song’s most annoying spoken refrains (“I like it” and “baby, what you waiting for” repeated ad nauseum).
Sometimes I feel as if I’m constantly leveling harsh critiques in GOT7’s direction, and if they hadn’t impressed me so much during their first two years of debut I might be a bit more forgiving. But, I honestly don’t understand what they’re trying to accomplish with this Japanese material — at least musically. There’s no finesse or creativity, just a barrage of noise seemingly designed to beat the listener into submission. It’s relentless in the worst way possible, and a total waste of their talents and charisma.
