Rounding out Stray Kids’ blitz of unit tracks, we’ve got Lee Know and Seungmin’s Cinema. Thus far, I’ve enjoyed Changbin and I.N’s Burnin’ Tires the most, though none of the songs have really caught fire for me. As two of the most notable vocalists in the group, Cinema promises a very different sound than the tracks that have come before it.
This is the closest to a straightforward ballad this project has given us, though it’s trussed up with plenty of percussive bombast that gives it a stronger pulse than a piano-and-vocal affair. If you would have told me this was a DAY6 co-write, I would have believed you. It has a similar sentimental band energy to it, complete with emotional, electric guitar-fueled climax. The song is clearly designed for a cellphone-flashlights-in-the-air moment at concerts.
While Cinema lacks the complexity and ambition of the former unit tracks, by sticking to a tried-and-true formula the song manages to elicit a few sparks. Lee Know and Seungmin deliver it well and it’s nice to hear their voices front and center. However, a song like this needs stronger melodies and an even better arrangement. Cinema builds well during its first half but misses the chance to ramp things up further after that. This is an opportunity to bring full theatrics and wring the track for all it’s worth, but the instrumental seems unwilling to commit fully to the schtick.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75