A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
I wonder how many ITZY fans watched SBS’s competition show The Fan before the group debuted? That was one of my favorite series of 2018 and introduced us to many future idols. Yeji competed as a soloist, which has been a hard image for me to shake over the years. Obviously she’s right at home with ITZY, but I’ve always imagined her doing solo work as well.
If Crown On My Head is any indication, she’s ready to record an entire rock-influenced album. The genre is a great match for the rawness of her vocals. The solo tracks are the strongest part of the group’s new album, and Crown kicks them off with flair.
Punchy guitar meets anthemic percussion for a forceful arrangement that matches Yeji’s brash performance. The chorus has a great sense of release, climaxing in well-placed high notes that carry surprising strength. My only complaint has to do with promotion. JYP Entertainment released mini videos for each ITZY solo track on the album, but if they’re already going to all that trouble why not just film videos for the entire songs?
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
8
RATING
8.5