Kim Jaejoong’s iNKODE label has set itself the ambitious task of debuting two boy groups this year. The already-promoting KEYVITUP are meant to be the hip-hop group while VAYONN are tackling pop. My taste tends to lean in a very pop direction, so I’m curious to see what VAYONN have to offer. Their album is out next month, but we’ve got our first taste with pre-release Watta Day today.
If this is what we’re in for, I’m going to need VAYONN to take some bigger risks. To me, Watta Day is the boy group form of “beigepop,” the hopelessly subdued sound favored by so many girl groups over the past few years. Its production is muted and held back at every turn. I find the washed out synths quite sleepy and even when the percussion picks up the pace it still has an oddly constrained energy.
The same could be said about Watta Day‘s vocals, which all run together into the same tone. I miss the days when K-pop boasted distinct vocal lines. Now, it’s more important that everyone is an “all-rounder,” meaning most idols are serviceable vocalists at best. I’m missing a sense of character in Watta Day, which makes it sound more like AI than the emergence of an exciting new boy group. I hope I’m wrong and they’ll knock it out of the park with their debut, but this song is an easy skip.
Hooks
8
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25