Hyolyn has become synonymous with summer, first as a member of Sistar and then as a solo act. She’s leveraged that position once again for a new mid-summer album but isn’t playing into obvious summer tropes. New single ChecK could be played year round as long as you’re in the mood for some more Y2K revival.
It’s tricky when you come to the tale end of a trend. I’m not sure how much pull the Y2K vibe still has with listeners. I’m certainly getting a bit tired of it and I imagine others are also eager to move onto new sounds. ChecK rides on an ultra familiar groove, the one-millionth K-pop song to crib those Neptunes/Timbaland beats that were so popular at the turn of the millennium. It’s not a bad fit for Hyolyn’s undeniable charisma, but the overwhelming sense of “been there, done that” dampens the song’s appeal.
When listening to ChecK, I’m reminded of early Beyonce. Hyolyn’s performance is cut from similar cloth, but her vocals have a very different appeal. While she can pull off this funkier hip-hop sound just fine, I think her higher, airier tone works so much better on melodic, sultry summer material. This song is rather threadbare, loosely cobbled together over the groove, and the performance just doesn’t have enough presence to anchor it. ChecK is absolutely fine, but far from my favorite work from Hyolyn.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75