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.
I like Super Junior’s new single Express Mode just fine, though as an anniversary track it’s pretty underwhelming. Most of the album is much stronger. It’s ironic, given Express Mode‘s self-identification as a “100% certified slapper,” that there are a handful of tracks that slap harder. Express Mode might bat you around here and there, but Air slaps with a French disco funk. Delight‘s chorus slaps with anthemic rock stabs. And D.N.A. slaps the way I like most: that good old fashioned SMP-style bombast.
Earlier this year, RIIZE tried the SMP style on for size with their excellent Ember To Solar, but Super Junior were one of the groups who helped pioneer this sound. D.N.A. would likely sound even better under the guidance of a legend like Yoo Young-jin, but what we get ends up being pretty damn good too. The song is a stomping electronic dance workout, pounding with the kind of intensity Express Mode could only dream of. Much of the drama comes via the members’ vocals. There are plenty of sky high power notes peppering the track, egged on by a chorus that makes space for a surplus of theatricality. This is one of those songs that’s best experienced at full volume. It’s massive, a bit garish, and so much fun. Even a brief post-chorus trap breakdown can’t dull the party.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9 |
