As Snuper’s Korean success begins to stall, it seems as though they’re being shipped out to every territory imaginable to help garner an international following. This has proven especially fruitful in Japan, where they’ve enjoyed surprising popularity by embracing J-pop’s more idiosyncratic sounds. Summer Magic (夏のMagic) is their third original single for the Japanese market, and bursts with the kind of intensely sunny energy that’s becoming less and less common in modern K-pop.

I’m always a huge proponent of sunny energy, especially when it comes to Snuper. However, I’ve found some of the group’s Japanese material to be a bit frantic in nature, with little time to breathe. Summer Magic’s overstuffed chorus flirts with this concern, but the melody is ultimately strong enough to stand up to the busy instrumental. Its soaring refrain has a carnival atmosphere, underlined by mile-a-minute percussion and twinkles of synth.

In contrast, the verses offer a more subdued build, giving off breezier appeal where the guys get a better chance to show off their vocals. The song could do with a more dynamic construction during these portions, which might have teased out less generic performances from the group. And though each chorus acts as a climax of its own, Summer Magic is over before you know it — without every building to one defining moment. As far as Snuper’s Japanese singles go, I’d rank it at or near the top. But, the song doesn’t hold a candle to their Sweetune-produced Korean material. Then again, what does?

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