Tune Assessment: NCT Dream – Beat It Up

I don’t know what’s gotten into me this yr, however there have been a number of boy group tracks I’ve cherished that — previously — I may need dismissed as “noise music.” I suppose as this development has softened it’s made the sound much less infuriating. Or, possibly the songs have simply been extra enjoyable. Chief amongst these examples was NCT Dream’s summer season comeback BTTF, which tempered its noise with a very majestic refrain. New single Beat It Up nixes the majestic melodies however catches the occasional groove that units its aside.

Between the tune’s repeated vocal riff and Dream’s personal efficiency, they have to say “beat it up” a pair hundred instances all through this monitor. There’s not a lot selection among the many chants and taunts and Beat It Up might do with a little bit of melodic respite. As a substitute, the tune lives or dies on the success of its rhythm. The instrumental is by far its most compelling facet. It’s a maximalist model of common Y2K influences, overstuffed and busy the place different Okay-pop productions would go for a extra minimalist method.

I can think about a way more attention-grabbing tune thrown excessive of this instrumental. Because it stands, Beat It Up appears like a sequence of disconnected ad-libs, nearly as if the composers and/or performers have been simply making issues up as they went alongside. There’s no defineable refrain, even because the “beat it up” chorus is repeated advert nauseum. This makes the tune really feel extra like a sketch than a fully-developed launch.

Grade: C+