FIFTY FIFTY – ‘Love Tune’ evaluation: uninspired candy nothings

FIFTY FIFTY brought about fairly the stir final 12 months – at first for all the appropriate causes, after which all of the flawed ones. Following their acclaimed debut mini-album ‘Greater’ in 2022, they kicked off 2023 with their viral TikTok hit ‘Cupid’. It shortly propelled them to the higher echelons of music charts all over the world and even landed them a track on the Barbie film soundtrack. However because the saying goes: the upper you climb, the more durable you fall. The group and their company quickly grew to become embroiled in a messy, still-ongoing authorized battle, leading to the departure of three of its 4 authentic members.

Now, FIFTY FIFTY are again with their mini-alum ‘Love Tune’ and a promising new line-up comprising authentic member Keena, former HYBE trainees Yewon and Chanelle Moon (a fan-favourite in R U NEXT?, the present that fashioned ILLIT), in addition to newcomers Hana and Athena. The newly minted quintet wasted no time re-introducing themselves, dropping the pre-release single ‘Starry Night time’ final month, a glittery however unexceptional first step of their new journey.

As fairly and nice as it’s, ‘Starry Night time’ does little to showcase the expertise or persona of the group’s new members. There’s additionally the overly processed vocals which can be a transparent distinction to the uncooked, crystal clear voices that made ‘Cupid’ (and different earlier FIFTY FIFTY songs) such standouts. The identical may be mentioned of nearer ‘Gravity’, a serviceable if forgettable mid-tempo ballad.

The pensive, low-key ‘SOS’, which can be the lead single of ‘Love Tune’, fares significantly better. The group’s delicate, delicate supply gorgeously captures the picture its lyrics paint, a cry for assistance on yet one more sleepless evening introduced forth by the bitter ache of craving. One other sturdy providing is opener ‘Push Your Love’, a playfully dreamy and upbeat love track the place the brand new members sound way more at dwelling with the observe’s energetic, flirtatious tone.

As a complete, ‘Love Tune’ is a thematically constant and decently carried out pop report with few main faults. Nonetheless, it hardly distinguishes itself from the wave of nice, easy-listening Ok-pop songs which have swept by means of the trade because the success of ‘Cupid’, with not one of the songs feeling significantly distinctive to this newly minted quintet. It’s additionally laborious to look previous the comparisons to the unique line-up of FIFTY FIFTY, particularly when so little was completed to remodel their sound and picture on this rebranding train.

Particulars 

• Report label: Attrakt
• Launch date: September 20, 2024