After a few years of releasing very solid material, Wonho turned his attention to global markets and his music began to suffer. With his new album Core, he seems to have returned to the sounds most central to him. For title track Don’t Wake Me Up!, that means a re-embrace of big dance beats.
Of the many K-pop tracks experimenting with club beats this year, I can only think of a few that go this hard. Don’t Wake Me Up hits you right from the start with pounding percussion and an aggressive shout-chant that forms the backbone of the track. From here, the song takes an unusual structure, less verse/chorus and more build/drop. There isn’t much of a chorus to be found, though the melodic response to the “don’t wake me up!” chant wrings a ton of drama from its brief presence.
To be honest, there aren’t really verses, either — at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, we have two melodic interludes, both building momentum in different ways. The first is more traditional, offering familiar phrasing and structure. The second plays more like a bridge, briefly slowing the track to a crawl while still managing to keep hold of the energy before we plunge into a dynamic hardstyle climax. I love how these moments play with the listener’s expectations, though I wonder how Don’t Wake Me Up might sound if these ideas were more developed and its hooks weren’t so repetitive. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays in the long run!
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
9
RATING
8.75