Sungmin has found a comfortable niche in trot music, a sound that’s still very popular in Korea. And with SM Entertainment set to debut a trot boyband of their own, the genre seems poised for even more of a resurgence. For my part, I appreciate a great trot track (especially when performed live) but very rarely play them on my own. The flashy Yo.Yo.Yo. (요.요.요.) is a good example of this duality. It’s a great listen but not something I’d likely return to.
Sungmin’s voice fits this genre like a glove, bending around notes to give that classic trot sound. The melodies are very expected, riffing on familiar structures. This gives Yo.Yo.Yo. the feeling of comfort food. If you have even the slightest interest in trot music, this is likely to appeal to you. There’s good energy, good humor and a catchy hook repeated often. However, I’d love to hear what Sungmin could do if he merged trot with other genres in the way that Hong Jinyoung was able to cross over in the mid-to-late 2010’s.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.5