It’s no secret that plastic surgery is rampant within the idol world (and really, Korea as a whole), but crafting an entire comeback concept around it is pretty audacious. Sixbomb are no stranger to controversy, and Becoming Prettier (예뻐지는 중입니다 After) sees them physically altered as a sequel to their pre-surgery single last month. Some say it’s a new low for the genre, while others maintain that the entire project is a sort of satire. But whatever it is, Becoming Prettier grabs attention.

With all of the backstory surrounding the single, it’s hard to focus solely on the song. Its low-budget, poorly shot music video doesn’t exactly beg for repeat viewing, but the audio is of slightly higher quality. As ballsy as the whole concept it is, Becoming Prettier actually sounds like a throwback to the hyper-repetitive, sometimes-gimmicky k-pop of a few years ago. There’s more than a little T-ara and Crayon Pop in the track’s chirpy chorus, while the verses echo PSY‘s novelty-rap side.

The instrumental brings a straightforward electro dance beat that seems instantly familiar. There isn’t much variation throughout the track, and the production lacks that one signature element that would make it memorable. The same could be said about Prettier‘s melody, which is delivered in a sing-speak hybrid of girl group rap and shouty refrains. It’s not quite cute, not quite quirky, and definitely not badass. It’s the kind of song you could sing along with on the first listen, but there’s nothing under the surface that might draw you in deeper. And in this way, Prettier‘s plastic, disposable nature actually suits its concept perfectly.