What did poor 82MAJOR do to deserve a comeback on the same day as both Seventeen and IVE? It’s hard to see how new single Choke (촉) doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, though maybe they’re hoping a rising tide will lift all boats. The song’s rubbery bass definitely deserves attention, even if the song itself could do more to live up to that production.
82MAJOR have already gone through several musical iterations, from the laidback pop of Sure Thing to the bombast of First Class. Choke embraces the hip-hop genre and the guys are given a great groove to play with. The production is easily the song’s strongest asset, and you can tell they know it from how little the beat changes over the course of three minutes.
Choke‘s verses mostly take advantage of this great production, but the song falls apart during its chorus. The hook is monotonous and underdeveloped, like a demo placeholder before the topliner comes in to write a memorable refrain. It’s too bad, because the rest of the track is quite enjoyable and paints a promising way forward for this rookie group.
Hooks
6
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75