When last we heard from TIOT (I swear… there are so many “T”-acronymed boy groups right now) they delivered the melodic pop rock of The Long Season. Though this song didn’t do much to stand out from the pack, its sound pointed a very promising way forward for the group and grew more addictive with time. But like so many smaller K-pop acts, the guys can’t seem to nail down a specific sound. New single Flex Line takes them in a completely different direction.
It’s been a rough (some might say awful) few weeks for idol releases. A couple days after Odd Youth built a track from brass that sounded like a strangled chicken, Flex Line finds another way to make brass obnoxious. This approach only works in very rare situations. BTS’s Dope is a good example of building a dynamic, showstopping track around a brash instrumental that could have easily tipped into annoyance. Flex Line is loud and proud, but much of the song sees the group shouting at us with no real engaging structure.
The track opens with high energy rap before segueing into a generic blast of melodic build. This quickly crashes into the shout-chant hook in the most predictable way. All the while, warped brass struggles behind the vocals as if being tortured by the producers. It’s not irritating enough to be memorable in a bad way. It’s just another tired, trope-filled boy group track to throw on the pile.
Hooks
6
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.5