Newbeat debuted earlier this year with a sound that was decidedly not for me. Their “new beat” included a surplus of irritating sing-talk and recycled samples we’ve heard a thousand times before from boy groups. But with a first comeback comes the chance to course correct. The version of Newbeat heard on Look So Good bears almost no resemblance to their debut.
Look So Good is far from the greatest thing I’ve ever head, but its slick, funky beat and catchy melodic hooks are much more bearable that a bunch of guys shouting “Flip the, flip the, flip the, flip the coin!“. For the first time on a title track, we get to hear Newbeat’s vocals and there’s plenty of potential on display.
The song’s gurgling electro groove begs for a smooth R&B tone and the guys mostly deliver. Look So Good‘s core ingredients are solid (if familiar) and could easily forge a much more compelling track. Sadly, the producers have decided to pull their punches at every turn. The song suffers from so many current K-pop ills. Its ultra-short running time disallows any sense of development, forcing the composition into a repetitive structure that never builds or pays off. Rather than stuff this narrow frame with aural fireworks, Look So Good simply chugs along. Once you’ve heard the first twenty seconds, you’ve basically heard the entire track. With this in mind, Newbeat get an “A” for the welcome genre shift but a “C” for the actual song.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
8
RATING
7.5