Increasingly more with Ok-pop, we’re seeing a rift type between acts who primarily goal Asian markets and people making a much bigger push towards Western audiences. Ideally, artists would merely launch nice music that appeals to everybody, however it’s not unusual for a performer to launch English-language materials and tour it extensively within the States. Such is the case with Wonho, whose full-length English-language album is out now.
After a number of pre-releases, If You Wanna acts because the album’s lead single. It’s every thing you’d anticipate from a solo male Ok-pop artist in 2025, which is to say it borrows closely from early-2000s hip-hop beats and options a mixture of crooning and sing-talk. Typically, this can be a sound that appeals to me, however in such an overstuffed market you find yourself listening to so many songs that sound precisely like this. After awhile, they have an inclination to mix collectively. Nothing about If You Wanna makes it stand other than its friends, however on the entire it’s an above common model of this fashion.
A lot of this is because of Wonho’s satisfying croon. If You Wanna‘s vocal moments (particularly the pre-chorus) work very properly and praise the bouncy beat. Nevertheless, even the tune’s spoken hook rides the groove convincingly. I’m past bored with spoken-word choruses, however at the very least this one has some pure rhythm in its phrasing. I don’t know that I’ll bear in mind If You Wanna in a month’s time, but within the second it’s received my head nodding and that’s sufficient to make it a small standout.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B