IVE have built a sizable portion of their singles run around iconic samples, from Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive to Blackstreet’s No Diggity to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. These interpolations have almost become a concept of sorts, and new single Attitude follows suit by borrowing the iconic hook from Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner. This song arrives weeks after pre-release Rebel Heart and carries a similar message of empowerment filtered through a modern (predictable) K-pop lens.
While Rebel Heart‘s ideas were in the right place, its clunky Fight Song-esque execution held me back from loving it in the way I had hoped. Attitude is slightly more convincing, but still isn’t able to touch their top tier work. Some of this is honestly down to the subject matter. I’ve long since reached my limit of boastful concepts, especially when they swerve into soul-crushing tempo shifts and shout-along bridges. Don’t K-pop songwriters have anything else to write about? Hell, at this point I’m ready to hear songs about unicorns and magic and shaved ice. Anything besides “aren’t I the coolest?“, please.
Attitude is at its best when targeted straight at the dancefloor. Its production could go much harder, but the propulsive beat works well to keep the song chugging along. It’s refreshing to hear big choruses back in K-pop and I like how the arrangement fleshes out during Attitude‘s centerpiece. The melody itself isn’t much to write home about, carried heavily by that immortal Tom’s Diner interpolation. I’m also not sure about the ultra-high notes that precede these sections. It’s a flex to include this challenging tone, but past single I Am found a way to make it much more impactful. Overall, Attitude is fine but I was hoping for a total stunner from the group.
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
8
RATING
8.5