As 2025 kicked off, BABYMONSTER were still promoting their first album with a series of follow-up tracks. A second album has been promised for this fall (though take that with a grain of salt given YG Entertainment’s track record) and the summer-themed Hot Sauce acts as its opening salvo, released digitally to kick off the month of July.
The song takes its cues from 80’s hip-hop and the visual presentation of Seo Taiji & Boys’ early-90’s debut era. These are two touchstones I absolutely love, so Hot Sauce should work better for me than it does. Its bouncy, minimalist beat is a suitable nod to hip-hop’s formative years, but the song is too one-note to work. I have a strange aversion to the words “hot sauce” being used as a hook. Maybe I’m still scarred from NCT Dream’s aural assault four years ago, but even without that past trauma the sound of the phrase feels awkward and automatically gimmicky. Plus, there’s no real way to make a two-syllable hook be anything but repetitive, and even at two-and-a-half minutes Hot Sauce quickly wears out its welcome.
I also find BABYMONSTER’s flow a bit uninspiring. It’s very authentic to the era they’re seeking to replicate, but from verse to chorus it feels as if we’re listening to the same line over and over again. A different hook would have resolved this issue, letting the verses capitalizing on the old-school groove while a more melodic centerpiece pulls the song in a different, more modern direction. As it stands, I don’t see myself going back to this. It’s a bit “kiddie show does hip-hop” in a bad way.
Hooks
6
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7