Though Girls’ Generation don’t often promote as a full group anymore, SM Entertainment has leveraged their success for a variety of solos and sub-units. This has mostly consisted of albums by leader Taeyeon, but now it’s time for Yuri to take a shot at solo stardom. Apart from her work with the group, she’s found her biggest success as an actress and variety star — two career paths that necessitate a certain level of chameleon-like versatility.

That quality can be found within Yuri’s first mini-album, which bounces from one genre to the next. For Into You (빠져가), she’s landed in trendy territory, promoting a simple dance pop track with vaguely tropical undertones. As far as solo debuts go, it’s not very memorable. It feels more like a follow-up to Oh!GG’s unit release last month, riding on footfalls of percussion and an evocative, synth-driven atmosphere.

This is a good match for Yuri’s vocals, which never strain past the point of pleasant but carry an appealing warmth. I only wish Into You would have pushed itself melodically. It’s just kind of the same refrain repeated over and over, echoed by an instrumental that adheres to a similar pattern. The hook sounds great the first time through, but quickly loses power. A chant-filled post-chorus instrumental drop doesn’t add much, even if it breaks up the otherwise monotonous structure. In the end, this track feels too workmanlike to act as a memorable debut. I suppose Yuri’s earned the right to coast, but Into You has her simply going through the motions.

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