Newly-debuted co-ed group ALLDAY PROJECT released their single Famous a week ago to mixed reviews. Some loved its rhythmic, chorus-less approach while others found its sound dated and dull. I count myself in the latter group, though I’d gladly take a dozen Famous‘s over one Wicked.
At some point, a large swath of K-pop’s output became “lame boasts over lamer beats.” I’m not quite sure how we got here, but I wish artists would stop treating the industry like some battle royale where they constantly need to arrive with guns blazing, shouting about how awesome they are. There’s nothing more tiresome than hearing someone brag on and on about themselves, especially if you’ve already heard it so many times before. Songwriters need to get some new material because there are plenty of interesting topics to write about in this world.
Wicked feels more like a showcase than a song, forgoing traditional structure for a cypher-like assembly line of acerbic rap. The Brazilian funk production has promise except for the fact that we’ve heard it from so many other acts already. There’s nothing new, fresh or interesting about this. Instead, it feels like you could divide each verse of Wicked and build better songs around them. As brief moments of aggressive energy, they could be killer standouts. However, nearly three minutes of this (punctuated by a super-silly “Take a shot. Photoshoot!” hook) is just exhausting and self-indulgent.
| Hooks | 5 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 6 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6 |
