Japanese girl group XG are gearing up for their first full-length album next January, and given J-pop’s extended promotional period its main single has dropped a few months early. Thus far, XG’s output can usually be slotted into three distinct categories: hip-hop, dance and r&b. GALA finds a way to combine these genres into something much more ambitious.
I don’t think this song is perfect, and I’ll get into why later, but I’m heartened by the fact that the producers seemed to sit down and actually say “let’s make something cool and different a bit daring.” In a climate of two minute pop jingles and recycled sample packs, GALA‘s verve is refreshing. The song melds stylish rap to a house beat. I love when hip-hop and dance collide, as both genres compliment each other so well. GALA is an unstoppable blast of rhythm, whether that comes in the form of the the girls’ performance or the incessant club beat. And don’t think I missed that clever little “Mr. Roboto” shout out!
While GALA revolves around a dramatic melodic centerpiece, I wish this segment would come around more often. On one hand, its scarcity makes the refrain all the more powerful, but it also teases an even better song that serves vocals as strongly as it does beat. This balance is off by just a bit, but not enough to keep GALA from being a total standout and my favorite XG single yet.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
