It’s been a long road leading up to Somi’s solo debut. As the center for I.O.I, she enjoyed instant fame and shouldered endless speculation over where her career would go after the project group split up. After signing with YG Entertainment’s Black Label (an unfortunate move given recent YGE-related scandals), she’s been paired with producer Teddy for the very YGE-esque “Birthday“.
Mengingat semua orang yang terlibat dalam debut Somi, apa pun tentang lagu itu tidak mengejutkan saya. Sebagian besar adalah ongkos remaja yang memadai, tetapi naluri yang lebih baik disabotase oleh drop tak bernyawa yang menyamar sebagai paduan suara.
Honestly, I came into “Birthday” expecting the worst. I don’t dislike Somi as a performer, but nothing about her screams “solo artist.” The song’s opening verse helped smooth out some of these worries. Apart from an unfortunate “shake it like a Polaroid” metaphor (complete with vocal fry delivery!), the track bounds forward like 2NE1 at their sunniest, mixed with a heaping dose of Meghan Trainor. That second part isn’t a compliment, by the way. Regardless, Somi sounds fine, and we even get some nice guitar for the pleasant pre-chorus.
But then the dreaded Teddy beat-drop syndrome takes hold. He’s been stuck in this lazy production loop for a while now. Sometimes it works wonders, but most of the time it doesn’t work at all. The instrumental fractures as we hit the hook of “Birthday”, completely killing the energy as the song lurches into warped, half-time nonsense. Instead of a chorus, Somi gives us a catchphrase — and an annoying one at that. I’m not sure it was a smart idea to frame a debut track around the words “oops, you’re not invited.” It was probably supposed to showcase sass, but it comes off as hopelessly juvenile and more than a little entitled.
Debut dimaksudkan untuk membuat seorang artis disayangi untuk umum - dan Somi sudah memiliki leg-up dalam hal ini, menjadi terkenal di industri K-pop - tetapi "Ulang Tahun" banyak mengorbankan niat baik itu. Lagu ini sangat antagonistik, berlapis permen tetapi tidak bisa dicintai. Sayang sekali, karena Somi adalah pemain yang magnetis ketika dipasangkan dengan lagu yang tepat. Dia masih muda, jadi saya kira kita akan menulis yang satu ini hingga rasa sakit bertambah.
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