HYBE’s empire continues to grow with the debut of new girl group ILLIT. They’re under subsidiary Belift Lab and formed through the series R U Next?. They’re the first of a few new girl groups emerging this week, and their debut single Magnetic feels perfectly in line with current trends. HYBE (and specifically, NewJeans) have almost single-handedly re-written K-pop’s girl group sound, and your experience with Magnetic will likely hinge on how you feel about that.
The song opens with the soft electronic atmosphere that has come to define this new era, but quickly grows into something more sprightly. Magnetic is at its best when pulsing along this brisk energy, offering a pleasant burst of lightweight pop sweetness. It’s not the most dynamic of arrangements, making it feel more like the soundtrack of a video game than a fully fleshed out title track.
This extends to Magnetic‘s chorus — a stuttering hook that works as a production showcase but tells us little about the girls themselves. Like the rest of the track, it’s featherlight and pleasing but tends to evaporate as soon as it’s finished. This sense of weightlessness will no doubt serve ILLIT well in the streaming age, where mood and vibe reign supreme. However, I’m craving something gutsy and bold from these new-gen groups.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8