82MAJOR have made their name on a quirky hip-hop sound that feels more fully-realized than many of their close peers. While none of their songs thus far have stuck on my playlist for long, I admire their consistency and willingness to play around within their genre. Their music is always fun, and that’s no small feat.
New single Takeover continues this trajectory but plays in specific hip-hop circles that are less suited to my taste. Much of the track has heavy trap influence, replacing their usual colorful production with an instrumental that feels much more familiar. This is most evident during the chorus, which drops into a heavy groove as the guys shout a not-quite-catchy hook that comes across as posturing rather than effortlessly cool.
Takeover‘s slick R&B pre-choruses are more successful, but don’t really compliment the rest of the song. 82MAJOR’s sense of fun is relegated to the music video while the actual music feels more dirge-like and menacing. Knowing how the idol industry works makes material like this come across as unconvincing and a little silly. I realize I’m not the target market for a song like Takeover, but this is easily the group’s weakest effort to date.
Hooks
6
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.5