Tune Assessment: IS:SUE – Join

Much like its impact in Korea, the Japanese model of Produce 101 spreads its tentacles far and large all through the trade. Not solely do members find yourself in quite a lot of unaffiliated teams, however the present itself spawns a number of acts. Months after the debut of successful group ME:I, the runners up have made their debut as IS:SUE.

ME:I opted for a brighter, cutesy sound that means IS:SUE should declare the opposite aspect of the lady group spectrum. As a result of… heaven forbid we do something new or authentic, proper? Join looks like a mixture of fashionable LE SSERAFIM and clanging, clattering BABYMONSTER. It’s a story of two segments, with its attitude-fueled verses working nicely and the simplistic refrain pulling the entire thing down.

These women might clearly do one thing superb with higher materials. I really like the deeper tone to their vocals. The efficiency jogs my memory of older Avex teams like E-girls and Faky, and Join begs for a refrain as sturdy as these highlights. As a substitute, the observe unfurls a squeaky synth loop as disconnected melody traces collide with chanted catchphrases. It’s a waste of the squelchy bass and defiant stomp that highlights a lot of the instrumental and makes Join really feel extra like compulsory product than an exhilarating piece of music.

Grade: C-