It’s hard to tell what Hearts2Hearts are aiming for during their debut year. Are they the new-gen SNSD redux many of us hoped for? Or, are they a moodier prospect with subdued sounds befitting K-pop’s current landscape? They can be both or course, but I’m craving a strong musical identity from the start. New title track Focus takes them in a different direction, fusing a modern aloofness with a banging house beat.
If I were to point out one overriding K-pop trend of 2025, it would be “talking over a beat.” The industry has always incorporated rap, but what the girls are doing during the chorus of Focus is much more monotone and “catwalk runway ready” in execution. Hooks like this tend to age poorly for me because there’s just not much to latch onto. Thankfully, everything around this chorus bursts with energy, elevating an otherwise dull song with propulsive dancefloor drive.
This sets up a frustrating dichotomy. On one hand, I want to praise Focus‘s production. Sure, it doesn’t do anything we haven’t heard a million times in house music before, but I love the fluidity of the groove and its unexpected spikes of extra drama. On the other hand, the songwriters could have made this track legendary had they opted for a series of memorable melodies rather than the subdued fragments we have here. Overall, this is a success… but a rather minor one when compared to a track like RIIZE’s Impossible or even Hearts2Hearts’s own Style from earlier this year.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
