It’s been a fraught month for HYBE, with NewJeans unwittingly stuck at the center of their controversies. Very little of this drama has anything to do with the group themselves and everything to do with the chaos swirling around them, but with a seeming cold war brewing between the NewJeans and ILLIT camps regarding plagiarism and favoritism, I’m curious what will become of the “NewJeans sound.” From their 2022 debut until now, the girls have unquestionably led the trend for K-pop’s current style. Now that so much of the industry has followed suit, will they abandon their influential aesthetic for something new? Time will tell, but not until they’ve gotten How Sweet out of their system.
Beyond some small production makeovers, How Sweet is closer to a holding pattern than a new era. The instrumental manages to be both punchier and more laidback than usual, echoing the stuttering, candy-floss r&b of the late-90’s/early-00’s. I dig the laser sound effects that run through the track and the overall groove is one of their more satisfying head-nodders. It has a consistency and confidence that calls for an equally amazing melody over the top.
Unfortunately, this is where NewJeans songs often confound me. Both in melody and performance, the delivery is so airy and aloof that it’s almost impalpable. It’s like pop music inertia, floating through space without anywhere to land. Like many of their title tracks, How Sweet centers itself around a simple melody repeated often. This approach begs for some compelling harmony or vocal quirk to switch things up and maintain interest throughout the 3:39 running time (3:39 is like an epic in K-pop nowadays!). Instead, the song loops around itself, centered by that great beat but offering little else to thrill listeners.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.5
Grade: C
(The music video is out in another two and a half hours, but I’ll likely be asleep by then so I’ll update in the morning!)