AtHeart debuted last summer and have been steadily promoting since. Every song they’ve released so far has been rated in the 7s on this blog, which pretty much sums up my feelings about their music. It’s inoffensive but unmemorable, slotting them within a swath of fifth-gen girl groups without much sonic identity of their own. This continues — frustratingly so — with new single Say It.
In this case, the group doesn’t even boast a melody of their own. Say It‘s chorus interpolates the 90s hit Lovefool from Swedish band The Cardigans. Interpolating 90s hits has become a tired approach in K-pop. It’s such a lazy way to ingratiate your hook. It’s like, “we know we can’t be bothered to write a decent melody these days, so just have this one you already know.” Worse yet, the composers simply let this interpolation sit over limp production that drains all the color from the source material.
Say It‘s best moment is its post-chorus, not because the songwriting is incredible but because the instrumental finally kicks up some energy. At its best, this is a light disco throwback, but every element has been softened to the point where nothing hits. Beigepop, indeed. The rest of the song is hazy and driven by repetitive phrasing we’ve heard in hundreds of similar songs before. As usual, there’s nothing here that sets AtHeart apart from their many peers.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7