OURBIRTHDAY will eventually be a seven member group under JYP subsidiary INNIT Entertainment, but they’re rolling out their members in waves. The first three (Hyejin, Achiraya and Baby — yes, you read that last one right) have made their debut today with pre-release single Hungry (Side A). If this were truly my birthday, I’d be finding a way to sneakily return this particular gift.
Hungry is the latest in a seemingly endless line of songs I like to call “annoying catchphrases.” This approach has become a bad cliche in 2026 K-pop, yet continues unabated. Rather than attempt to write a chorus involving any type of singing, the composers have settled for a silly catchphrase (“Hungry! Eat it up!“) performed in a bratty — almost intentionally obnoxious — style.
What makes this especially frustrating is that there are things to love about Hungry. I enjoy the house beat — as overused as they have become this year. The track’s more melodic moments also work well and even the hyper-affected “rapping” keeps momentum chugging along. But eventually, we wind up in a climactic hellscape of “whipped whipped whipped cream, whipped cream big dream” that puts me in a decidedly un-festive mood. At a certain point, it’s hard not to feel a bit insulted by material like this. It sounds like it was designed for five year olds.
Hooks
6
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.75