NCT’s Taeyong has been positioned as the breakout solo star of the group, quickly crafting a quirky hip-hop sound that pulls in elements of many different genres. It’s an uphill battle for me, as I find his hyper-affected performance style a little tricky to get into. New single Tap follows suit, upping the eccentricities at the expensive of melodic variety.
Tap‘s percussion has a nice sense of playfulness. It’s a colorful sound, with drum beats that sound more like water droplets or bubblegum pops. There’s a lot of interesting vocal interplay, too. Much of the rap is bolstered by a complimentary melodic undertone. However, Tap‘s tricks wear thin quickly. “Tapping on me” is an oft-repeated phrase, said so many times that it grows more irritating than compelling.
Weird slang aside, there’s plenty going on under Tap‘s hood to make me wish this production had been paired with a different song. I’m especially fond of the synths and guitar that come in three quarters of the way through. The mix is quite funky and exciting. Too bad we’re still tapping and saucing all the way through it!
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.75