WOOAH Make A Comeback With "POM POM POM", NewJeans Release "Right Now" And I:MOND Debut With "Slippery"
WOOAH - POM POM POM
Review
Let me first state that "POM POM POM" is definitely the Song Of The Year and the best track WOOAH has ever released! I expected it to be good, but not that good! I don't have words to express how amazing this track is.
First of all the intro. What an intro! The most epic, bad-ass intro ever! Then the first verse comes galloping before giving its place to the hard-rock, rhythm electric guitars in the pre-chorus that slowly build up the expectations. And yes, for the once the chorus not only does it not disappoint, but it explodes with a super-fast, power-metal riff while the girls' vocals hit those "Pom pom" lyrics with more rock-star attitude and flair than many real rock-stars. Then the necessary after-chorus rap-section hits you. But instead of it feeling out-of-place and killing the vibe, it maintains the power of the song, keeping the tempo and leading smoothly to the second verse. The highlight of the song is definitely the bridge after the second chorus. So many layered melodies and underlying harmonics. This feels more like a K-pop cover of an actual classic metal song, rather than a pop track.
The music video features the girls mostly in black leather dresses, in front of a pink-neon lights, dancing inside a metal cage. I can't think of anything more fitting for this concept. Overall this is WOOAH's best comeback ever and "POM POM POM" is an instant classic rock anthem. WOOAH are finally living up to the expectations, bigger and better than ever!
Release Info & Mini Bio
WOOAH (formerly stylized as woo!ah!) is a currently five-member girl-group under SSQ Entertainment. The group debuted with six members (member Songyee left the group on August 14, 2020 after only three months due to personal reasons) on May 15, 2020 as woo!ah! with the single album "Exclamation", but during the promotions for "Blush" (2nd digital single, April 8, 2024), the group rebranded from woo!ah! to WOOAH.
WOOAH made a comeback today on June 17, 2024 with their second mini album "Unframed" and the song "Pom Pom Pom" as the album's title track. The album will contain six tracks and physical release will come out in three versions: two photobook/CD versions (Break and Take version) and one digital QR code version (Stayg Albums version). This mini album is the follow-up to the group's second digital single "Blush" that was released on April 8, 2024 with the track "Blush" being included in this mini album.
Track List
"I'll Tell You (내가 다 해보고 말해줄게)"
"Polaroid"
"Pom Pom Pom"
"Blush"
"Girls Love Boys (소녀... 소년을 만나다)"
"Pom Pom Pom (EDM ver.)"
NewJeans (뉴진스) - Right Now
Review
"Right Now" features the NewJeans' signature laidback vocals mixed with an upbeat instrumental to create a refreshing summer vibe. Or at least that is what their aim was. Because this time the instrumental is also rather lazy, with the same 5-chord riff repeating on the background without any change or variation for the whole duration of the track. The same is also true for the rhythm section with the snare drums coming and going but always repeating the exact same pattern from start to finish. The vocals are definitely great and their subdued tones fit the song but the instrumental is practically non-existent making the song feel boring very, very fast. I won't even mention the duration again, because apparently it is one of their gimmicks. The song again lasts less than two and a half minutes with an over-long intro for padding.
On a more positive note, the accompanying music video is a creative collaboration with renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and features the members reimagined as characters from The Powerpuff Girls animated series. Plus, the track has an international flair, with lyrics sung in Korean, Japanese, and English. NewJeans is without a doubt a global phenomenon and I'm sure their new Japanese single will make a splash in both the Japanese and Korean music markets, but that is no excuse to release such subpar songs. In my opinion, if you can't the enjoy the instrumental of a song without the vocals, then you're listening to a bad song.
Release Info & Mini Bio
NewJeans, is a five-member girl-group under ADOR (an independent label under HYBE). The group made its debut on July 22, 2022, with the digital single "Attention" as a pre-release to their debut EP album "New Jeans" which came out on August 1, 2022. NewJeans released a new song on June 16, 2024 titled "Right Now" as a promotional pre-release single for their upcoming first Japanese single album "Supernatural" that is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2024. This single is the follow-up to the group's second single album "How Sweet" that was released on May 24, 2024 with the same-titled track as the single's title track.
I:MOND (아이몬드) - Slippery
Review
"Slippery" is an infectious dance track filled with a fresh and vibrant energy that showcases the group's powerful vocals and charisma. The song opens with a catchy chant of "Gonna make you, make you slippery" before launching into the hard-hitting verses delivered with attitude by the members. Lyrics like "I'm a sharp devil, I cause trouble" and "I'm naturally mischievous, sorry, unnie" convey the group's bold, mischievous concept. The track starts strong, then makes a slight pause for effect, before exploding with an over-long, addictive chorus that is definitely the highlight of the song. Production-wise, the song features an excellent arrangement with proper mixing and everything sounds very professional. A pleasant surprise compared to all those under-produced songs released by small companies nowadays. The music video is rather weak and cheaply made, but it features a sharp choreography and styling that matches the song's edgy vibe perfectly. Overall, "Slippery" is a solid debut that hints at I:MOND's potential. The song is catchy and memorable, and the group's performance skills are already impressive. Definitely a rookie group to keep an eye on.
Release Info & Mini Bio
I:MOND (아이몬드) is a four-member girl group under Be the max Entertainment consisting of members: E-seol (이설), Miku (미쿠), A-hyeon (아현) and Youngwon (영원). They group made their official debut on June 4, 2024 with the single album "We Are Gravity" and the song "Slippery", but due to unforeseen reasons the music video was released almost ten days later on June 13, 2024.
