Around this time last year, Chungha promoted the disappointing Eenie Meenie when fantastic b-side I’m Ready was just begging for single treatment instead. Artists have every right to explore a variety of genres, but Chungha is such a convincing dancefloor diva that it feels like a missed opportunity whenever her music ventures elsewhere. Thankfully, new single Stress is aimed straight at the club, melding her charismatic performance to an insistent house beat.
I’m still convinced Chungha has yet to find her perfect song, but Stress points us in the right direction. Its energetic kick and wispy strings take us back to the early-90’s, especially when the song dabbles in a Vogue-style spoken word bridge. The instrumental isn’t bringing anything new to the table, but it honors its forebearers well and provides an engaging backdrop for Chungha’s compelling choreo.
Stress is carried by its undeniable energy, but an equally engaging series of hooks would have elevated it. The “stress, stress, stress” chorus is uninteresting and repetitive, failing to land a memorable melody. The same could be said about the verses. If we were to strip away the production entirely, I’m not sure the song itself offers much of anything. This makes Stress a performance piece, which plays to Chungha’s strengths. It would be a decent addition to any dance playlist, easily outshined by bolder songs within the genre.
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
9
RATING
8.25