Remember when Tempest couldn’t stop shining? Hell, I’d gladly rewind to their Dangerous days of 2023. This year has been such a buzzkill for the group. Losing member Hwarang was a huge blow and musically their burgeoning Japanese discography feels like a misguided attempt to brand them into some bad boy stereotypes.
From Vroom Vroom to Baddest Behavior to Bubble Gum, Tempest’s J-pop work has been universally tedious. The songs each feel like one stupid idea with the thinnest of musicality surrounding them. When I write about “catchphrase hooks,” these singles could almost be the dictionary definition. Like its predecessors, Bubble Gum uses generic hip-hop production to frame a series of obnoxious sing-talk hooks that could have been peddled by any boy group. The irony of lyrics mentioning “game changer” and “trend setter” is impossible to ignore.
Maybe this is who Tempest really are as a group, but their best work points toward a far more interesting series of sounds. The guys have released some genuinely excellent songs in the past. In contrast, their unimaginative Japanese discography feels like the worst kind of cash grab.
Hooks
6
Production
6
Longevity
6
Bias
6
RATING
6