VAYONN are the second new boy group to emerge from Kin Jaejoong’s iNKODE label, adopting a brighter sound palette than their hip-hop friends KEYVITUP. They teased their debut with the so-so Watta Day final month, and I believe that tune will play higher within the context of an album. The bouyant MUAH! is their large title monitor and undoubtedly makes a higher impression on me.
I want my Ok-pop to sound as “Ok-pop” as doable, that means the songs don’t really feel like one thing a Western artist would simply replicate. MUAH! has a heaping dose of basic energy pop woven into its kind, however delivers a selected Ok-pop fizziness that units it aside. It’s a burst of vitality from begin to end, with every phase constructing on the final till we attain the bounding, ebullient refrain. All of it skews very younger, together with the vocal efficiency, however that vitality is welcome — particularly in the course of the summer season.
Within the lengthy lineage of shiny boy group debuts, I don’t see MUAH! protruding in the way in which others (Astro, NCT Dream, Golden Baby, TWS, and many others) have, and a part of that is because of a really oversaturated market. Nonetheless, this Ok-pop summer season is in dire want of some large, upbeat pop tunes and I’m glad to see a brand new group main that cost. MUAH! will get the job executed, particularly when its percolating synths and stomping percussion are available.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B