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.
Of all possible K-pop artists, I didn’t expect xikers to supply the bright boy group sound I’m often looking for. However, they’ve done this twice on their new single — first with the fantastic Up All Night and then immediately after with b-side 100%.
This one’s actually even poppier than the single itself. In fact, I think it’s the poppiest track the group has recorded up to this point. It takes a bombastic pop/rock approach, melding light synth, rhythm guitar and bounding beats until we reach its anthemic call-and-response chorus. xikers imbue the track with plenty of personality, transforming a structure that could have easily become generic in other hands. Most everything about 100% is straightforward and unsurprising, but I love the chorus. It has a sense of scope we don’t hear enough of in K-pop’s chant-heavy world. Maybe this being a Japanese track gives them some clearance to go bigger melodically. In fact, this short (2:39) song even makes room for a standout bridge. It’s very efficient this way, but still manages to include all the goodies a pop fan would hope for.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
