Just weeks after V released his own post-enlistment single, bandmate J-Hope is back with a full-on hiatus era album. Not only that, but his Hope On The Street is billed as a “volume one,” meaning we likely have much more coming. For the album’s single Neuron, he’s enlisted (pun totally intended) some of K-hip-hop’s big guns. Both Gaeko and Yoonmirae have plenty of classic hits of their own, making this a powerful trio that spans generations.
Suitably, Neuron sounds as if it could have been released at almost any time during the past thirty years. Drawing on old-school hip-hop and funk, the song lays down a satisfying groove and vibes over it for four and a half minutes. It’s refreshingly trendless and suits all three artists equally. I like the soulful heft of the chorus, which has warm gospel undertones. This expressive drama could have been teased out even further, as Neuron plays more like a straight line than a series of emotional peaks.
Still, there’s a confidence in simplicity. Neuron knows it has a good thing going and luxuriates in that space. The structure is fun, passing the baton to each rapper one by one. This diversity of tone and flow keeps things feeling fresh even as the core production remains steady. Yoonmirae is a particular highlight and brings a swaggering confidence to her climactic verse. Neuron may not be the most ambitious thing in the extended BTS catalog, but it’s a head-nodding good time that will likely appeal to fans who were around during the group’s 90’s hip-hop influenced debut era.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
9
Bias
8
RATING
8.25