BTS’s J-Hope is rapidly making up for misplaced time — not that there weren’t tasks and songs launched throughout his army enlistment as effectively. Simply two weeks after his duet with R&B crooner Miguel, he’s again with solo single Mona Lisa. This time the music is a little more upbeat and groovy, however the music feels simply as slight as its predecessor.
Humorous sufficient, Mona Lisa sounds extra prefer it may have been launched pre-BTS-enlistment than submit. From the entice percussion to the repetitive hooks to the just-over-two-minutes working time, a lot about this transports us proper again to 2019-2020. This high quality makes Mona Lisa really feel extra like an appetizer than a full-on assertion. Ambition is low, the tendencies are trending and the flatness of the manufacturing appears designed for looped play on streaming companies. If that is the factors we’re holding the observe in opposition to, I assume you possibly can say it checks all of the containers. Nonetheless, nothing right here feels recent or thrilling in any approach.
J-Hope’s voice is slurred with results, at instances accentuating its texture however extra typically flattening particular person character. The verses and refrain seep collectively, following the same rhythmic sample and conserving the power moderately monotonous all through. With a contrasting hook (possibly Miguel ought to have been featured on this observe as an alternative?), we’d have a satisfying sluggish jam on our arms. Because it stands, that is one other underwhelming entry in J-Hope’s current catalog. I hope we’re constructing as much as one thing extra dynamic sooner or later.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
Grade: D+