Somehow, Charlie Puth has become a go-to K-pop collaborator. He romped around with BTS’s Jungkook in 2022 and now he’s coaxed Stray Kids out of their typical hard-hitting style to craft something slinkier and understated.
I enjoyed most of Charlie Puth’s 2018 album Voicenotes, but he’s also written a fair amount of songs that are either:
a) insipid
b) weightless to the point of evaporation
Lose My Breath falls into the latter category, somehow dulling all of Stray Kids’ eccentricities to the point that it sounds like Puth featuring Puth featuring Puth. English-language K-pop collaborations don’t have a great track record to begin with, but I’m shocked by how devoid of personality this is.
The track harnesses some current trends, mostly in its embrace of early-2000’s garage percussion. However, there’s no bite to the production or performance. It’s as if the guys are all recording in their upstairs bedroom while trying not to wake their parents downstairs. I can’t tell if it’s hushed or simply disinterested, but nothing here inspires enthusiasm. The melody simply lopes about, repetitive and predictable. It’s a poor Charlie Puth song and not a Stray Kids song at all, so I’m not sure what or who this is meant to be for.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7