We’ve got a new (pre) debut today in the form of girl group VVS, who have been teasing their arrival with some very ambitious, cinematic videos. I was hoping that ambition would make its way into their music, offering a new sound or style in a K-pop year that’s been pretty predictable so far. But while the visual aspect remains top tier on the violent music video for Tea, the song itself leaves much to be desired.
I wish producers would stop using obnoxious instrumental samples. The warped electro wobble that opens Tea is grating on its own, which means it’ll likely be grating when it’s put into a song as well. Indeed, the production throughout Tea drags down the track’s potential. That aforementioned wobble is soon joined by trap percussion for an overly brittle beat that belies the song’s confidence.
Beyond this, Tea is another exercise in “I’m the best” swaggery, this time using tea, sugar and caffeine as metaphors for how interesting and cool VVS are. As usual, I’d rather the song showed this instead of telling us over and over, but that’s probably just the writer in me coming out. Without many interesting aspects surrounding this sentiment (the chorus lurches with unconvincing sing-talk), there’s not much to grab hold of here. I wish VVS the best, but this tea is pretty bland.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.75