NCT Wish’s buoyant Surf has proven to be a real grower, as summer-themed songs often are for me. The group is spoiling fans with multiple pre-releases for their upcoming mini album, with new track Baby Blue the second in line before the title track is unveiled next week.
By its very nature, Baby Blue has less purchase with me than Surf did. It has its upbeat moments, but the overall arrangement is much more fitful. The bombastic chorus pulls everything together in an off-kilter way, but it’s the obvious peak within a song that often sputters. In this day and age, it’s rare for me to find a melody genuinely unique, but the tune that powers Baby Blue‘s chorus had my brain truly working to understand what was happening. This can be a gratifying experience, but also a frustrating one. Some melodies challenge the pop form in interesting ways. Others are nebulous in a way that makes you understand why most pop songs wouldn’t use them in the first place. I fear Baby Blue‘s chorus might exist in the latter category.
Baby Blue will likely improve with age, but right now I’m finding its sound more off-putting than beguiling. The plonky verses lean into some of the worst, most chintzy instincts of previous Wish songs. The brisk pre-chorus promises more whimsy before we blast into that weird-as-heck chorus. Ultimately, I admire the song construction but the hook just isn’t all that catchy. This feels very much like an experimental album track, making me wonder why it was chosen for pre-release promotion.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.5