TXT’s new (full) album weighs in at eight tracks and a paltry twenty-one minutes. This brevity isn’t unique to TXT and I don’t mean to call them out specifically, but it’s representative of choices the K-pop industry is currently making. So much effort seems to go into everything surrounding the music, even as the actual songs grow shorter and less developed. In this case, that effort includes music videos for each of the members’ solo tracks. In keeping with the truncated nature of the album, I’ll be writing mini reviews for each song as the videos are released.
We’re bursting out of the gate with my favorite of the solos. In fact, Yeonjun’s Ghost Girl is probably the best song on the whole album. It’s also one of only two tracks that crack the three minute mark. Rather than the quirky hip-hop of his solo single GGUM, Ghost Girl blends rock music with a reggae beat. These two genres might seem incongruent, but their contrast works to the song’s benefit. While the structure is relatively flat and never climbs to any notable climaxes, the off-kilter rhythm keeps interest high and a few well-placed percussive flourishes break up an otherwise straightforward groove and repetitive melodic cycle.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8