Round this time final yr, IVE kicked off a profitable run with pre-release Insurgent Coronary heart and title monitor Perspective. Now, they’re in search of to copy that hat trick with the same strategy surrounding their second full-length album. We’ll hear the title monitor later this month, however in the present day we have now Bang Bang as a taster of what’s to come back.
Whereas IVE debuted with a selected sonic angle and caught with that for his or her first yr or so, their materials has run the gamut over the previous few promotion intervals. You by no means know whether or not you’ll get huge, anthemic melodies or an icier hip-hop beat. Bang Bang borrows largely from the latter whereas injecting new sounds to their palette. The track’s foremost calling card is its high-tempo dance beat. It boasts that sort of regular “oontz oontz” membership sound that’s grow to be fairly standard with Ok-pop’s lady teams. I like this power when it’s paired with equally daring melodies, however most present teams go for a gentle dose of sing-talk as an alternative.
Bang Bang isn’t any totally different on this regard. Its spoken-word refrain is trussed up with some vocal layering that provides it additional presence, however when it comes right down to it there’s little or no singing concerned. A number of momentum-killing breakdowns (together with the whole thing of verse one) neutralize the track’s potential and the hook is so threadbare that I assume it can shortly grow to be grating. There’s solely so many occasions you possibly can hear “bang bang!” over a primary membership beat and faux that you just’re thrilled. Nonetheless, I’m positive the track will do properly. These low-effort, catchy-in-the-most-obvious-way tracks appear to be beloved in the intervening time, even when I discover their “model over substance” strategy undercooked and uninspiring.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
Grade: C