It wouldn’t be a K-pop summer without some random Pepsi ad song. Over the past few years, Starship Entertainment has collaborated with the brand to release innocuous (sometimes decent) releases that see various idols teaming together. This time, IVE take on the challenge by themselves, delivering the “easy, fizzy” Summer Festa.
“Baby, you can drink your heart out” is a mega-awkward hook — an alcoholic’s manifesto, of sorts. Of course, the drink in question here is Pepsi, and the music video never lets you forget that for a second. Sometimes, these CF songs can be enjoyed on their own as fun pop morsels without incessant branding getting in the way, but Summer Festa is difficult to pry free from its sponsor. It’s just too literal.
Musically, Summer Festa adopts the smooth, subdued disco hues that have been in vogue throughout the 2020’s. Part of me wants to stop calling this “disco” altogether because it lacks the energy and personality that make that genre great. Instead, this is corporate schlock, dead behind the eyes and smoothed over as if composed by AI. I get that it’s essentially a commercial jingle and should be treated as such, but I happen to dislike jingles so my rating will reflect that.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.75