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.
It’s a good time for Lucy to surprise us with a title track of a very different sound and energy. They excel at what they do (and new single Haze has already grown on me), but there’s another side to the band that casual fans wouldn’t necessarily hear. A song like So What (내버려) is emblematic of this promising direction.
Song for song, the Fever mini album is the group’s strongest work in years, and it comes to a grand finale with this dynamic call-to-arms. The guys turn the instruments way up here, embracing distortion and huge football-stadium style chants. Yechan’s violin fits in seamlessly, but the whole arrangement is much more aggressive than most would expect from Lucy.
Here, Lucy have found their own version of K-pop’s much-loved “dark concept.” It adds a new level to their appeal and stretches their performance. Their recently-released music video for Haze concludes with a mysterious post-credits scene that seems to portend something sinister coming down the line. Maybe we’ll get something like So What in the next few months?
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
Grade: B+
