Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Only a month after her last solo release, ex-Fiestar member Yezi has already returned with another track. For most of her solo career, she’s capitalized on her skills as a rapper. However, January’s My Gravity painted her as a power vocalist, pitched at the OST-loving public. New single Home continues this trajectory, but injects a welcome dose of dancefloor energy.
Like My Gravity, Home is pretty generic. But, it’s a kind of generic that we don’t hear that often anymore. It’s an old-fashioned EDM-pop anthem, free from needless tempo shifts or genre-splicing. About a decade ago, this kind of sing-along fare was all over the place, and if Home had been released back then I’m sure it would have just faded into the background. In 2020, it’s a nostalgic little bauble, held aloft by its positivity and chugging electro beat.
Still, bucking trends doesn’t automatically make a killer track, and Home never forges a unique perspective. Take away the nostalgia, remove the surging instrumental, and you’re left with a pretty inconsequential pop song. Yezi does a good job bringing it to life, even though I think the track would benefit from a larger diversity of tones and performance styles. Its straightforward arrangement is both a help and a hindrance. It feels good in the moment, pumping your fist in the air as the production explodes, but Home doesn’t leave much of an aftertaste. Even so, I won’t be mad when this comes up on shuffle. Every once and awhile you just need some uncluttered musical catharsis.
