LOONA - [&] EP REVIEW
Somebody asked me who my bias was, and I didn’t know what they meant. I’m just trying to listen to music here, not which gender I’m attracted to.
K-pop artists and groups have always been a touchy subject. Of course, it’s all the rage on Twitter, but I really don’t have a ‘bias’ like most of the K-pop stans. I always try to keep an open mind with this, and I’ve gotten quite a few Twitter DMs about my very few reviews on K-pop projects. I’ve listened to LOONA for a while now, and actually, they’re the group that got me into K-pop. So, I’ve got high expectations for whatever they do, and [&] is one of my most anticipated projects of the year because of that. Haseul, who had left the group due to mental health issues, is back on this. That may not seem like a big deal to people not in the K-pop scene, but it really is. Let’s get into [&] and see what’s happening here.
Like their past projects, the group has always tried to keep it versatile with some peppier tracks and some slow ballads, and it’s no different here. As I mentioned earlier, Haseul returns on this project, and since I think she’s one of the better vocalists in the group, it brings back a presence that was admittedly absent on the projects that she wasn’t on. The production sounds a lot more modern and tuned into the mainstream, for better or for worse, and the writing is just plain fun. It’s not complex or anything, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s fun pop music for the masses, but there’s one problem here that can’t be ignored. For their last couple projects, LOONA hasn’t really had that special charm that permeated their earlier work for the past couple of years now, and it’s sadly still the same case here. Some have said that this EP is the death of the group, but that’s a little extreme to me because there’s still a good amount here to enjoy.
It may not be the most exciting K-pop project in the genre or the best release from LOONA, but [&] is still an enjoyable drop from the group. As a functioning K-pop outfit for six years, they’ve been pretty consistent and that’s what makes them so fun to listen to. Just don’t ask me for my bias or taunt ARMY because I don’t think the Bangtan Boys are the best group right now.
6/10
Listen here
YouTube Music
[&] is a BlockBerry Creative release.
K-pop artists and groups have always been a touchy subject. Of course, it’s all the rage on Twitter, but I really don’t have a ‘bias’ like most of the K-pop stans. I always try to keep an open mind with this, and I’ve gotten quite a few Twitter DMs about my very few reviews on K-pop projects. I’ve listened to LOONA for a while now, and actually, they’re the group that got me into K-pop. So, I’ve got high expectations for whatever they do, and [&] is one of my most anticipated projects of the year because of that. Haseul, who had left the group due to mental health issues, is back on this. That may not seem like a big deal to people not in the K-pop scene, but it really is. Let’s get into [&] and see what’s happening here.
Like their past projects, the group has always tried to keep it versatile with some peppier tracks and some slow ballads, and it’s no different here. As I mentioned earlier, Haseul returns on this project, and since I think she’s one of the better vocalists in the group, it brings back a presence that was admittedly absent on the projects that she wasn’t on. The production sounds a lot more modern and tuned into the mainstream, for better or for worse, and the writing is just plain fun. It’s not complex or anything, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s fun pop music for the masses, but there’s one problem here that can’t be ignored. For their last couple projects, LOONA hasn’t really had that special charm that permeated their earlier work for the past couple of years now, and it’s sadly still the same case here. Some have said that this EP is the death of the group, but that’s a little extreme to me because there’s still a good amount here to enjoy.
It may not be the most exciting K-pop project in the genre or the best release from LOONA, but [&] is still an enjoyable drop from the group. As a functioning K-pop outfit for six years, they’ve been pretty consistent and that’s what makes them so fun to listen to. Just don’t ask me for my bias or taunt ARMY because I don’t think the Bangtan Boys are the best group right now.
6/10
Listen here
YouTube Music
[&] is a BlockBerry Creative release.
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