New K-pop trio RE:WIND impressed me big time with their pre-debut RE:SET earlier this year. I also enjoyed the early-2000’s pastiche of Forever even if a muddled arrangement dulled much of its effect. The guys recently released their first EP and have now unveiled the music video for new track Little Too Late.
Like Forever, I wish this song carried just a bit more punch and went full Nsync/BSB on us, but I still appreciate the blend of Y2K sounds and a more modern atmospheric energy. The production leans into both directions and benefits from its most dramatic moments. The instrumental becomes genuinely grand in places as synth strings tease out the song’s theatricality. And at four and a half minutes, Little Too Late is practically an epic-length opus in today’s market. This length benefits the song’s appeal as the melodies gain strength the more you hear them. Pulling it all together is a palpable sense of angst that actually shares more in common with mid-to-late 2000’s K-pop (early Bigbang, anyone?) than the hyper-produced Y2K sound. It’s a song that becomes more addictive each time you hear it.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
