“There’s a brand new monster / Go on and inform your pals / Promise you that we’ll hang-out ya / Once more and many times,” BABYMONSTER chant of their rallying name on ‘Monsters’, the opening monitor of their debut mini-album ‘BABYMONS7ER’. The septet clearly set up the trail they’re decided to take – however it’s additionally a harmful assertion, one that may both age like wine or milk. And, as you’ll quickly see, it’s an ironic and nearly theatrical piece of foreshadowing.
The mission’s title monitor and important attraction ‘Sheesh’ begins off effectively sufficient with an intriguing, minimalist piano instrumentation. Because the music begins to choose up the tempo, all of it begins to really feel oddly acquainted, like we’ve been right here earlier than. Then, any and all promise ‘Sheesh’ has proven goes proper out the window when the refrain arrives – you realise that YG Leisure have executed it once more. They’ve given BABYMONSTER but one other BLACKPINK-esque music.
‘Sheesh’ is almost an identical – from construction to the call-and-response rap verse to the rallying outro – to a lot of BLACKPINK’s hits in recent times that it feels nearly uncanny. It appears YG Leisure have taken the improper classes from their immense international success with BLACKPINK (and, by extension, 2NE1). Audiences have already seen what the label is able to, so why waste BABYMONSTER’s potential on moulding them into mere carbon copies?
‘Sheesh’ may need made a good (if forgettable) B-side on one among BLACKPINK’s albums, however even then, wouldn’t most simply flip to the group’s outdated catalogue for that particular sound? BABYMONSTER, as new artists with a clear slate, have a singular however fleeting alternative to create one thing completely their very own. However as a substitute, YG Leisure appear intent on capturing that BLACKPINK magic once more – sadly, lightning doesn’t strike the identical place twice.
The rookie lady group additionally fill half their mini-album with songs that we now have already heard. Two of them are re-recordings of earlier singles – ‘Batter Up’ and ‘Caught In The Center’ – to incorporate Ahyeon’s vocals; a candy gesture, however nothing to jot down dwelling about. There’s additionally closing monitor ‘Dream’ (which has been out on YouTube for practically a 12 months now), a vanilla ballad that, on the very least, highlights the vocal talents of the septet.
But it surely’s not all gloom and doom on ‘BABYMONS7ER’. The one different unique full-length monitor, the Charlie Puth-penned ‘Like That’, is a hidden gem that proves BABYMONSTER have what it takes to change into greater than one other lazy try by YG Leisure. Really feel-good, flirty and upbeat, ‘Like That’ takes its 2000s R&B affect head on and knocks it out of the park. It’s proof that the septet have all of the makings of the subsequent nice Ok-pop lady group – provided that YG Leisure can discover the braveness to step out of their consolation zone.
One would possibly say that it’s unfair to guage BABYMONSTER based mostly on this one launch alone, however first impressions could make or break a bunch. Whereas the septet would possibly shock us but, proper now it’s arduous to see them as something however a hole try by their company to recreate previous success. If there’s something to remove from the discharge of ‘BABYMONS7ER’, it’s that recycling years-old formulation is not at all a foolproof technique.
Particulars
- Document label: YG Leisure
- Launch date: April 1
