Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
What’s up, holy shit are there a lot of releases flooding in to begin 2022. Or maybe it just feels that way for me since I’ve been playing catch up.
Either way, thankfully (or not) there hasn’t been a lot I’ve cared to review.
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Wheein (MAMAMOO) – “Make Me Happy”
Reducing Wheein to a song that anybody could’ve droned monotonously over is an impressive feat. Beautiful music video, though.
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Jinjin & Rocky (ASTRO) – “Just Breathe”
A bit of funky pop that would’ve been quite good if it wasn’t extremely busy. An ironic title.
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DRIPPIN – “Villain”
Standard boy group affair from the last couple years, which is fine, but the hook doesn’t hold any appeal.
Is it just me or have there been a bunch more choruses nowadays that just repeat a word (usually the title) over and over, except not in a hook-y way like before, just like speaking it?
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YENA (Feat. BIBI) – “SMILEY”
Peppy and cheerful, the perfect solo concept for YENA, really. A lot of fun, though it kinda felt lacking a signature moment that really would’ve pushed it over the top. Could age well.
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Fromis 9 – “DM”
Like most city pop efforts, it’s a perfectly fine listen as a vibe or whatever, but it fails to really distinguish itself instrumentally. Another track that could potentially age well, mainly due to the chorus.
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Taeyeon (SNSD) – “Can’t Control Myself”
Taeyeon does what she can with it, but the lack of commit to an edge (or anything) from the production that would’ve made this song notable is disappointing. Never really shifts gears.
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Yuju – “Play”
Yuju going the subtle route was unexpected, but it can definitely work out even for talented vocalists like her. However, making her give way to that generic instrumental loop in the chorus is just a waste and I don’t understand it at all. “Play” feels like a throwaway song meant for a soloist that’s a weak vocal to hide the fact that they’re a weak vocalist, but given to Yuju for some confusing reason.
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VICTON – “Chronograph”
Quite good, actually. However, like a ton of stuff that has been released thus far in 2022, lacks the addictive quality that makes me want to listen again and again.
