I write this review en route from KCON LA, where TXT headlined day three of the festival (more on that later). In a fun twist of fate, it was also the day their most recent Japanese single was released. Setsuna Hanabi (セツナハナビ) follows a very strong Japanese album last year and largely carries the pace — even if elements of the track are slightly less developed than I’d hope.
Despite its title containing the Japanese word for “fireworks,” Setsuna Hanabi is far more measured than explosive. It builds itself around a dynamic beat that sounds like metal grinding against metal. This gives the song great texture, urged on by incessant percussion that keeps the whole thing moving at a clip. It’s a strange balance, because Hanabi is both driving dance music and relatively flat in execution. There is no one centerpiece to look forward to, though the chorus has the sentimental sound of the group’s last Korean mini album.
When it comes to modern TXT singles, I’m just happy to hear a song last over two minutes and feels relatively fleshed out. Setsuna Hanabi may not go to the places I’d hope (or go anywhere, really), but by setting its ambition rather low it squeezes a lot from its mechanical groove. Now, I need TXT to take this same sonic landscape and build some dynamic funk atop it. We know they have it in them!
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8