Mnet loves wringing as much as possible from its survival series, so in addition to ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Boys II Planet gives us a spinoff group. MODYSSEY is comprised of Chinese members who didn’t quite make the cut, promoting in Korea with a song by Stray Kids’ 3racha. This is a set-up for instant success, but is the music any good?
Given its creators, it’s hard to separate Hook from Stray Kids. I can hear how that group would perform it, making MODYSSEY feel more like a tribute act at this point. Hook throws in a bit more electro-funk than anticipated, hinging on a nice bassline during its chorus. I chuckled when this chorus frames itself around the lyric “don’t stop the melody” since K-pop hasn’t started the damn melody in quite some time. Hook boasts fragments of melodic success, but much of the track is build on more staccato punches (ie: “hook! hook! hook!”). This approach tempers some of its fresh appeal and makes the track feel overly busy rather than slick and satisfying.
Still, Hook has enough tricks in its utility belt to maintain interest. The bar is so low it’s in hell, so MODYSSEY will have to do with faint praise for now, but I’m a little charmed by Hook‘s desire to try things out and keep things moving. None of its hooks work completely for me, but there are enough of them that my brain never has the chance to linger on any one moment. It’s assembly-line K-pop at its most efficient.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8