So far in izna’s discography, there hasn’t been a full single that I’ve loved. Instead, there have been parts of izna singles I’ve loved. The synthpop chorus of Sign. The mid-2010s, vaguely tropical beat of their self-titled debut. Producers Teddy, Kush and 24 have robust resumes but I need them to take every one of their best bits and assemble them together to create a killer track that stays killer from start to finish.
I’d be curious to know when new single Mamma Mia was composed because it feels like a post-ALLDAY PROJECT work to me. I could easily see the song going to that group and it’s quite an aggressive turn for izna’s sound. On the plus side, the girls deliver the confrontational energy surprisingly well, bringing a renewed sense of power to the performance. On first listen, I was intrigued when I assumed the opening bars were the song’s verse. However, it quickly became apparent that this was actually Mamma Mia‘s chorus and I don’t think that works nearly as well. The arrangement is just too empty.
In fact, this emptiness is a problem all around. It makes the girls’ performance feel overly loud because there’s nothing to push against. It’s as if they’re shouting into the void. Mamma Mia finally picks up steam during its requisite YG-style dance breakdown, but this squawky instrumental break lands with a thud because there’s no build-up to make the finale feel earned. With a few more revisions, there might be a good song in here. For now, this sounds like a rough draft.
Hooks | 7 |
Production | 7 |
Longevity | 8 |
Bias | 7 |
RATING | 7.25 |