I haven’t been shy in voicing my displeasure/disinterest with K-pop’s current trend of beige, easy-listening girl group fare. The sound has become ubiquitous over the past year, dulling the excitement of many new groups. But within this sonic realm, ILLIT’s megahit Magnetic stood out as a solid example of the genre. Now they’re back with its follow-up: the very tame Cherish (My Love).
Rather than echo Magnetic‘s chirpy hook, Cherish reminds me much more of ILLIT’s peers Fifty Fifty. It has the same soft, inconsequential energy. The song finds one airy hook and repeats it often without any attempt to modulate toward a compelling finale. There’s no sense of growth throughout Cherish and this flatline disengages the listener. ILLIT don’t possess a ton of character in their voices (or maybe they’re just not given the chance to show it off?), making them feel like cyphers rather than protagonists in their own music.
Cherish‘s catchiness lies in its accessibility. The song is extremely easy to sing along with, requiring no virtuosic range or power to pull off. This makes it quite relatable, and maybe that’s the appeal of music like this. However, I approach pop music from the opposite perspective. I’m not looking for some cute little earworm I can hum to myself while doing the dishes. I want the full musical course — something so striking and impressive it pulls me into another universe entirely. With this in mind, Cherish just feels flimsy and redundant — a song that would pass by on the radio without leaving any indelible mark.
Hooks
8
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25