It seems SF9 have settled into a once-a-year-comeback pattern, giving them less chances to hit it out of the park. Last January’s Puzzle had its heart in the right place, but I found the repetitive rhythm of its chorus difficult to fully embrace. Bibora accepts Puzzle‘s baton but ups the tempo and maintains its focus. The song is stellar all the way through.
Eight days in and we have our first great title track of 2024! Bibora abandons many K-pop pretenses and heads straight for the dancefloor. It’s so refreshing to hear a song fully embrace this sound without the needless slowdowns and twists K-pop often forces itself into. Bibora follows a predictable structure, but its perky house beat keeps the song aloft for all three minutes. It underlines the vocals and rap with equal aplomb, giving the track a sleek, confident appeal.
SF9 echo this approach with an airy vocal that draws out Bibora‘s atmosphere while keeping melody at the forefront. Rap breakdowns add to the song’s character without segueing into a completely different arrangement, and spikes of drama in the pre and post-chorus give the track heft. To me, Bibora actually sounds like a boy group version of WJSN’s spacey sound. This style fits SF9 like a glove, resulting in what may be the best song of their career — seven years and thirteen mini albums in!
Hooks
9
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
9
RATING
9