Mamamoo’s Moonbyul impressed with a sequence of sturdy singles final 12 months, taking her solo music in instructions I wouldn’t have anticipated. Now, she’s extending that victory lap to new markets together with her first Japanese single Aurora (ほしあかり). The music sees her taking part in in comparatively protected style areas, particularly given Japan’s love for this fashion of pop-rock mid-tempo.
Gone are the times when Moonbyul was solely often called Mamamoo’s rapper. Inside a bunch so vocally stacked, her personal singing voice not often had an opportunity to face out. Nonetheless, she’s confirmed herself an efficient singer and appears to take pleasure in this efficiency fashion much more than rapping for the time being. Aurora is a straight-down-the-middle slice of emotive balladry, trussed up with guitar and percussion to present it a heartier anthemic really feel. Moonbyul tackles the sound nicely, however the music itself isn’t doing a lot for me. It feels nearly like an afterthought, constructed upon acquainted — however generic — melodies and missing a signature instrumental that may separate it from the numerous, many tracks that adhere to this sound. It’s fairly nice, however until you’re an enormous Moonbyul fan I don’t see this dominating playlists for lengthy.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
Grade: C