Super Junior sub-unit L.S.S — comprised of members Leeteuk, Shindong and Siwon — have the dubious honor of the lowest-rated SJ release on this blog. In fact, last year’s Joke is one of the lowest-rated songs in general. Their music tends to blend retro with novelty for tracks that feel more like memes than enjoyable comebacks. This approach has varying levels of success, and new Japanese single Pon Pon lands somewhere in the middle.
K-pop used to be sillier in general, back when it didn’t yet have to please an ever-increasing global audience. I miss this energy, but there’s a fine between silly and obnoxious. Pon Pon largely sticks with the former, blending its new jack swing beat with an icy electro thump. This instrumental is fun and upbeat, bringing the funk in a satisfyingly old-school way. Had the guys grafted a different song on top of the production, we’d be in a much better place.
Pon Pon‘s simple chorus works well, but the chanted asides that follow echo the worst instincts of K-pop’s first generation. I could do without the affected “dibidibidib” post-chorus hook. ‘Trying to be funny’ is rarely funny, and at its worst moments Pon Pon strains for absurdity. Still, I can play this all the way through without wanting to gouge my ears out, so I’ll consider that a win when it comes to this particular sub-unit’s output!
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.5