When last we heard from LE SSERAFIM, they urged us to “act like an angel and dress like crazy.” The actual song that accompanied these lyrics wasn’t nearly as boundary-pushing as its sentiment expressed, but I appreciate how the group tried to bring some campy fun to the table. New title track Hot pulls things all the way back, easily standing as their most straightforward single yet.
If some past LE SSERAFIM tracks could be considered gimmicky, Hot dispenses all novelty to focus on a series of simple melodies and a muted sound palette. The song is vaguely “rock,” as in “we see a few shots of live drums in the music video,” but the instrumental is smothered in a sheen of polish that flattens most of its character. The production’s most effective element by far is saved for its final moments when a catchy synth riff injects unexpected texture. Instantly upon hearing this, I wished the rest of Hot had found a way of incorporating more idiosyncratic touches.
With such a plain instrumental, the song’s melodies are left to do the heavy lifting. Luckily, they’re solid and sultry. At times, Hot sounds like something Sunmi might have concocted, though she’d imbue the whole thing with much more presence. Still, the chorus packs a nice sense of build that feels more fleshed out than most of the group’s recent releases. Confined to just under two and a half minutes, the track isn’t given much room to develop. Imagine what could have been with an extra minute of brave sonic territory just after that fizzy synth takes over. As it stands, this feels like half of a decent song.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8