Similar to NewJeans’ comfortable, evenly experimental sound went on to affect years of woman group releases of their wake, I concern we’re about to see the identical with Cortis’s success. Hopefully, this shall be extra REDRED than Acai, however both means I’m anxious this implies even much less melody/theatricality/singing and shorter songs for Ok-pop within the coming years. An early indication of this shift might come within the type of new multinational group WAYF BOYS.
The fellows have debuted with their tackle a sparsely-produced shout-along hip-hop monitor. Their expertise is straight away obvious, particularly throughout the track’s vocally-led moments. In one other world, these skills could be utilized in service of a killer R&B monitor or a extra fleshed-out hip-hop banger with scale and scope. As an alternative, WAYF BOYS DO locations them firmly inside Gen-Z tendencies. We’re speaking lure beats, repetitive chant-along hooks and the identical rattling phrasing seemingly utilized in each one among these tracks.
To their credit score, the blokes carry a ton of character to the combination and their English-language lyrics are positive to boost some eyebrows. And refreshingly, their vocals aren’t smothered in tons of pointless results. Nonetheless — and that is most likely my bias speaking — this simply doesn’t sound like Ok-pop to me. I fear that, with mainstream music in the bathroom proper now across the globe, an business that was once its personal dynamic factor is slowly morphing into mid slop I can already discover within the States (amongst many different locations). I hope WAYF BOYS have extra musical ambition than that.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-