1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R
WHERE U R
If I was to say anything about this album as a whole, it’s consistently solid but never thrilling. This could be seen as praise, but in a world with awesome pop music coming out every week (and compared to Infinite’s discography as a whole), I just don’t have much room for “solid.” The upbeat closing track Where U R (여전히 아름다워) should be one of the stronger moments in this assembly line of perfectly fine pop, but its sense of restraint holds it back.
There are moments of grandeur within Where U R, mainly within its underlying use of orchestral samples. This instrumental feels quite canned (and becomes even more so as we enter the chorus), but its chugging tempo keeps things moving along at a clip. It goes without saying that Infinite bring a ton of character with their vocals alone, but the song never gets off the ground in the way I would have hoped. In sentiment and sound, it reminds me of 2018’s Begin Again. Comparing the two songs teases out some of the frustrations I have with Where U R. Even as this song builds to a crescendo, it feels oddly constrained and aloof. Neither the production nor melodies punch with the warmth or power needed to transform this style of track into a true open-hearted standout.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8