Five years since their debut, CRAVITY are in a rebirth phase. They’ve changed leaders and teased their new album with images of the members emerging from giant eggs covered in amniotic fluid. Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, it’s kind of awesome in its sheer nerve. Rebirths in K-pop don’t always mean drastic shifts in sound or style, and thankfully new single SET NET G0?! retains many of the group’s strongest elements.
In fact, this song finds a way to stuff just about every CRAVITY sound into one package. SET NET G0 moves through several distinct segments, from the brittle funk of its verses to the soaring melody of the pre-chorus to the electro-stomp of the chorus to the requisite mid-song hip-hop breakdown. Amazingly, these disparate elements never feel jarring, though you all know how I feel about a energy-shifting rap verse. (SET NET G0 earns a sliver of a bonus point for at least shoehorning it into a different part of the song than usual.) Overall, the song works very well despite a few shortcomings.
SET NET G0 opens with one of these weaker moments. I’m not sold on the descending melodies of the verses. They fizzle energy rather than build it, but once a strong kick of percussion joins the mix we’re off to the races. From here, the song vaults into its strongest turn — a brilliant pre-chorus underlined by thick synth textures. The grittier chorus also works well, even if it feels ripped from another song entirely. These two elements join forces for SET NET G0‘s finale, and it’s here that the song finally makes sense. We could do with another fifteen seconds of this payoff, but even with its slight frame the track is satisfying and feels destined for many replays thanks to a few ear-catching highlights.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
