With the debut of SM Entertainment’s new girl group just around the corner, Starship Entertainment has lodged a stealth attack by pre-releasing music from their upcoming girl group KiiiKiii first. Given the agency’s huge success with IVE, all eyes are on KiiiKiii’s emergence in the industry. And if I Do Me is any indication, the group seems to be targeting a similar pop-minded audience.
As a pre-release, I Do Me‘s main tasks are to introduce the members and quickly establish a sonic calling card for the group. I’d say it’s successful at the former, but less so at the latter. At just five members, each girl is given plenty of spotlight. Overall, I enjoy how they all sing in a lower register. The vocals instantly have a different appeal than the airy style tackled by most current girl groups. If given the right material, KiiiKiii could really stake their claim to a new era of K-pop.
On the other hand, I Do Me is a total nothingburger as a song. It has a polished pop sheen but no real drive. I feel like I’m listening to the same twenty seconds on repeat. Apart from a nice flourish of synth during the climax, the arrangement never grows or goes anywhere. It’s very monotonous. It also feels strongly catered to Western taste, serving a vaguely retro synth pop sound that’s been inescapable for the better part of this decade. Because of this, I can’t give the song itself a high rating. However, I’m intrigued by the group and hope they find better material in the future.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25