Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Oh right, in the midst of everything going on, NewJeans also has a comeback. It’s a significant one considering their seemingly perilous situation, and it started off alright with “Bubble Gum” and kinda continues on that path with “How Sweet“.
I wish I loved this like some of their other releases, just so that I could use this meme:
This motherfucker don’t miss. Naw, he’s fucking good. That mf don’t miss man. He’s good. In the heat of battle he don’t miss. No. In the heat of controversy, he don’t miss. Snoop Dogg & Michael Rapaport talking about Drake reaction video meme pic.twitter.com/x9YCcweYhZ
— all reaction videos (@allreactionvidz) September 24, 2020
Unfortunately, much like “Bubble Gum” it kinda strikes me as a playlist quality B-side for certain moods, stemming from the intriguing intro and central Miami bass beat. The airy and ethereal easy-listening vibes are a constant, but the repetitive melodies and hooks don’t quite hit paydirt this time around. It’s not “Hype Boy” or “OMG” or “Ditto” or “ETA” or even “Super Shy“, it just kinda … is for the most part.
It’s inevitable that NewJeans find themselves in that zone sometimes due to the nature of their musical style, but rarely have I found them so squarely buried there on a title track. Genuinely have no idea where NewJeans goes from here, but this isn’t the most ideal time to release some of their least interesting material.
——
Overall though, if we’re just talking about just the artistry, their team definitely know what they’re doing. That they already have an impressive discography (and branding) if it ends here is a testament to that, and nothing HYBE has done in the past or present gives me a ton of hope in terms of effectively managing girl groups themselves, which is a shame since they’re now the new SM Entertainment on steroids and could have a lot of influence on the industry. Well, at the very least, I hope NewJeans keep on working with 250 and FRNK so the musical direction stays consistent.
