Rookie Releases: Rothy’s “Blossom Flower”, MiSO’s “ON N ON”, Z-GIRLS’ “What You Waiting For”, Z-BOYS’ “No Limit”

I’m back with Rookie Releases a handful of newbie tracks, and for better or worse, I have a lot of opinions about them. Without wasting any time, let’s explore some new artists and their latest efforts.

——

Rothy – “Blossom Flower”

Mainly, I really wish I would’ve written about Rothy earlier, like when she came out with “Burning“. “Blossom Flower” is unoffensive and showcases her pretty vocal tone, but doesn’t really send the listener anywhere. I understand the Korean market likes ballads, but not even this is going to grab her attention. I am looking forward to further releases from her, though, and hoping they’re more up-beat & pop oriented. For example, she did this great cover of Red Velvet‘s “Red Flavor“, and I think this shows her potential more than this track ever could.

MiSO – “ON N ON”

MiSO, unlike Rothy, is headed in a massive step in the right direction with her latest track “ON N ON”. I really didn’t expect much from MiSO as her first two solo releases were quite … budget HyunA, and that’s being very generous. All in all, I think this sound and styling are a big improvement and the chorus is catchy as hell. Unfortunately, the music video comes across very awkward for me and doesn’t really seem to catch any of the good moments of choreography, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the song.

Z-GIRLS – “What You Waiting For”

So, I believe the concept of this group is that they’re mostly (or all) non-Koreans. I have a feeling most people will love this. Personally, I’m all about a great anti-chorus, but this really didn’t do it for me. I found several parts of the track awkward; the “something in the water” parts of the verses are terrible and the pace of the main refrain in the chorus makes it monotonous and mildly annoying. That’s not to say I didn’t see the potential. I love the main vocals distinct voice, the overall attack of the girls, and think the performance was fantastic.

Z-BOYS – “No Limit”

Z-GIRLS’s brother group, Z-BOYS, I think were a lot more successful in their debut. Which, to be fair, just comes down to having a better track, a song that also takes advantage of the anti-chorus trend. With that said, I’m not completely enthralled, either, by this. “No Limit” was just okay for me, but not something I’d add to my playlist. And, while the boys got a better track, their choreography felt underwhelming in comparison to the girls. I probably shouldn’t be comparing them, but I am, so sue me.

——

The overall takeaway for me this Rookie Releases is that all of these acts have potential to either waste or capitalize on. Z-GIRLS and Z-BOYS left me with mixed feelings, but that’s much better than no feelings at all. I am most excited to see where Rothy goes with her sound, but MiSO was the unexpected standout that I’ve kept listening to.

About Whiskey Tea

Stay sippin'.