As Seventeen enters their inevitable military enlistment era, focus has shifted from group work to solos and sub-units. Next on the docket are S.Coups and Mingyu, joining forces alongside American singer/rapper Lay Bankz for a party track that heavily samples Roy Orbison’s iconic 1964 hit Pretty Woman. Wow… that’s a lot going on in one song!
Pop music cycles through periods where samples and interpolations drive the narrative. I don’t tend to mind this as much as some listeners do, as long as the sample is incorporated well and not just a cut-and-paste job. However, I’ve never been a big fan of the original Pretty Woman so that immediately colors my thoughts on 5, 4, 3 (Pretty Woman). This version is essentially a riff on the original, utilizing most of its core elements without adding anything notable enough to transcend the familiarity.
Much of the song is given over to Lay Bankz’s rap, which is enjoyable but needlessly pulls S.Coups and Mingyu out of the equation. Their performance is much more reserved, making it so that they almost get lost in their own song. The rest of 5, 4, 3 bops along with enough energy to sustain interest, but without any notable peaks it begins to feel like one idea repeated over and over. And at its worst, this approach veers dangerously close to “commercial jingle” territory.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
