KiiiKiii blew up big time this January with their hit 404 (New Era), quickly establishing their place at the forefront of this generation’s girl groups. They’ve also become one of the architypes of K-pop’s current dance trend, blending hyperpop with early-2010s EDM. Personally, the first word that comes to mind when I think of them is “aesthetic.” Their creative team has the visual and conceptual side down. I’m waiting for the songs themselves to flesh out in the same way.
It’s hard not to hear the influence of Charli XCX in new single Pop Off Pop Off. The song plays almost as a highlight reel of her various sounds and textures, extending 2024’s “Brat summer” to 2026. While the energy is admirable, I find it difficult to connect with this overall style. It all feels so fleeting and artificial, down to the incessant vocal effects. Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of Brat, that album’s brilliance was its willingness to let humanity poke through the machinery. Lyrically, that vulnerability is of no interest to Pop Off Pop Off, which means the song must connect in a different way.
Back in the early 2010s, that connection came through idiosyncratic vocal performances and robust melodies. Those elements are stripped away here as well, replaced with a thumping (but disinterested) club beat and chirpy sing-talk hooks that become so anonymous they might as well just be another loop in the mix. 404 (New Era) also went heavy on the sing-talk, but you were able to hear KiiiKiii’s vocal tone and character front and center. Here, they might as well be replaced by AI. It’s like hearing an old Katy Perry or Ke$ha song squeezed until all we have left is the concentrate. This might be cool and trendy, but it neglects the features that make great pop music so endearing and timeless.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.5