FNC Entertainment is one of the few large agencies continually debuting new bands. They’ve make it their specialty ever since the days of FTIsland and CNBlue, and with the major success of acts like DAY6 there’s clearly still a market for this sound. New K-band AxMxP (pronounced “A.M.P” and standing for “Amplify Music Power”) makes their debut today with a full-length album to showcase their various skills. From what I’ve read more than one title track is scheduled, but we kick off the journey with the energetic I Did It.
Interestingly, this song sounds less like a band and more like an idol group. In fact, it’s not even clear the guys play instruments until the chorus comes in during the music video. I’m of two minds about this. It’s refreshing to hear a different approach from a band, but the rapped verses don’t do much for me. They’re underlined by trap percussion and come across like any other generic boy band of the past few years. The chorus is much better as the full brunt of the band comes in and we move into a catchy chanted chorus.
The glam rock strut during this segment works very well and I would have loved hearing it color the rest of the track. This might be a controversial opinion, but there’s absolutely no reason a rock band needs to use sampled trap beats. Your drummer is right there and more than capable of crafting an engaging rhythm. I Did It‘s saving grace is its bombastic energy. There’s a palpable sense of swagger to the track and this makes it hard not to be won over by the time I Did It has ended. It may be a Frankenstein mess in places, but some of those places are quite thrilling.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
