Long ago, the K-pop elders foretold a prophecy: “Behold! Regardless of their sound or image, every fifth generation boy group shall get their swag on for one tuneless, out-of-character chant-fest.” As an amendment to their proclamation, the wise elders added: “Fear not, lovers of bright, melodic concepts. This hip-hoppery shall only be a pre-release.”
RIIZE, ZEROBASEONE, TWS, BOYNEXTDOOR… they’ve all succumbed to the hip-hop pre-release prophecy. Now, it’s AHOF’s turn with Sugar High. To be fair, iterations of this group have already performed this style of song on the series (Universe League) that formed them. And to add a bit of positivity to this trend I’ve grown to like (sometimes even love) those tracks by RIIZE, ZEROBASEONE, TWS and BOYNEXTDOOR. But for whatever reason Sugar High feels especially jarring. Maybe it’s because the song is SO devoid of the group’s usual character. It’s also burdened by a chorus that’s far more annoying than their peers’ output. This is the kind of chorus that feels like the songwriters simply gave up. Maybe they ran out of time in the recording studio? Whatever the case, I find the sound of K-pop boys chant-screaming in unison uniquely annoying and AHOF are unable to overcome that hurdle.
The sad thing is, there’s something to be said for Sugar High‘s verses. They’ve got a satisfying bounce and lead into a so-so pre-chorus that — at the very least — draws upon AHOF’s skills. But really, there’s no salvaging the song’s unlovable, obnoxious chorus. I get that agencies want to show various sides of their artists in the hope of attracting new fans, but I can’t imagine anyone hearing this and wanting to listen to more. The upcoming title track better be a return to form because I’m going to try my best to pretend this song doesn’t exist.
Hooks
5
Production
6
Longevity
6
Bias
6
RATING
5.75