The upcoming soundtrack to F1® The Movie (which is completely outside my wheelhouse – pun intended) promises to be a star-studded affair. And in 2025, that means a bit of K-pop representation — even if it’s tangential. Rosé has certainly leapfrogged over the classification of “K-pop,” and songs like Messy push her further into the Western pop market.
To be honest, I don’t have a ton to say about Messy and that’s because the song plays things so down the middle. It has a plodding sense of anthemic catharsis that has been retread countless times over the past twenty years. It’s essentially a ballad, but trussed up with a pounding thud. Melody winds its way between this overwhelming production but never amounts to much. Melodic range is quite narrow in this case, which only adds to the song’s formulaic, lockstep structure. Rosé makes an odd fit for Messy‘s booming instrumental. Her voice is delicate, expressive and pretty but doesn’t supply the gravitas needed to make this formula work. If nothing else, Messy will sound fine playing over the end credits of the movie. That’s probably the extent of its ambition anyway.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.25