The ladies from KARD have each made their solo debut this year. Gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you anything about Jiwoo’s solo track despite writing about it back in February. This is partially due to the fact that she never promoted it on music shows, but the song clearly didn’t do much to distinguish itself either. Sadly, I don’t imagine that Somin’s Backseat will fare any differently in the long run.
To be clear, idols are usually pretty talented and there’s high production value in the K-pop industry overall. That’s the bare minimum. What we’re missing right now are the songs. Backseat does nothing I can’t hear a million other places around the world. Its slinky pop/r&b sound holds no individual spark and passes by with a pleasant monotony. Somin has a nice voice, though I’d struggle to pick it out of a crowd. The songwriting spins its wheels, circling around an unambitious series of melodies as a sample pack of percussion pulses in the background. It’s all perfectly serviceable but not remotely thrilling.
Hooks
8
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25