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.
We love a repackaged album that actually enhances the original version! CRAVITY’s Dare To Crave was already a very strong release, but its three new tracks make it even better. Title track Lemonade Fever is excellent, Oxygen boasts a great chorus and the surging Everyday is the kind of generous pop trifle that will always appeal to me.
In a different world (aka: K-pop’s current reality), this song would last about two and a half minutes and build toward no notable crescendo. It would be nice and pleasant and unfinished. Instead, Everyday takes its time to surge and blossom. Its effusive chorus is its own highlight, bounding along an upbeat, synth-sprinkled beat. The production supports this at every turn, adding hits of excitement in all the right places. But the moment that makes this a buried treasure arrives right at two and a half minutes — the exact point at which many modern tracks would close up shop. A rousing power note sweeps us into Everyday‘s finale, delivering the kind of payoff all pop songs should strive for. It’s formulaic, but we have this formula for a reason. I love a song that seeks to fully satisfy its listeners.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
