Kai’s been teasing the release of his new album with several songs, both of which took dance elements and subdued them to a leisurely pace. All the while, I’ve had to make peace with the fact that Kai clearly wants something different from his solo work than I’d expect. Title track Wait On Me continues this approach, melding Afrobeats with SM Entertainment’s tried-and-true musical touches.
While Wait On Me continues the vibes-first approach of his album’s pre-release material, it’s slightly more successful in its approach. I like the blend of soft percussion and atmospheric synth, and the track kicks up some real funk during its too-brief dance break. This sonic brew compliments Kai’s airy vocal and allows him room to showcase his dance without the music stealing too much attention from the visual. As far as atmosphere goes, Wait On Me has style in spades.
Like many of the agency’s tracks this year, my biggest issue stems from melody. SM was once a king of immortal melodic hooks, but that no longer seems to be a priority. Stripping the production and performance away from Wait On Me, its melodies are quite unremarkable. I know we all come to music for different reasons, but as someone who likes to sing along there’s not much to grab hold of here. Compare this to TWS’s Last Festival — a song with a very similar arrangement — and the power of a knockout melody becomes immediately apparent.
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8