If you were to peruse any of my unfavorable reviews of the past few years, you’d likely find mentions of song structure, energy and momentum. For me, these are some the most important building blocks of a good pop song, and this era’s trends so often misuse them. How many times has a non-chorus let down an otherwise strong comeback? How many times has a pesky trap drop waylaid a song’s potential? Whatever that number is, it can be increased by one today, thanks to Winner’s frustratingly inconsistent SOSO.
Winner’s past two singles have been lighthearted, and quite generic. Millions and Ah Yeah were both enjoyable, but didn’t have a perspective of their own. With this in mind, I have to give kudos to SOSO’s aural experimentation. It does a lot of things right, but much of that goodwill is upended by a repetitive, monotone hook. If Winner’s goal was to craft the musical equivalent of apathy, then they met their mark. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why anyone would want to listen to the musical equivalent of apathy!
I actually like the vocal effect utilized during this buzzkill chorus. It conjures a melancholic, almost mystical, aesthetic rather than settling for swag. If only the instrumental didn’t completely stall here. It plunges into trap-infused, energy-killing murk for what feels like forever, led by one of the most lethargic hooks I’ve heard all year.
This is especially unfortunate given the verses and pre-choruses that sandwich SOSO’s dead refrain. In addition to building momentum, these segments play with interesting textures. The synth is surprisingly bright for a Winner track, but it’s augmented by a captivating round of filtered chants that backdrop the standout pre-chorus. I love how the instrumental grows more and more frantic here, stuffing itself until it bursts. This seems to lay the ground for a big, cathartic chorus. That SOSO swings so far in the opposite direction may sound interesting on paper. It may even support the song’s lyrical themes. But as a listening experience, its unbalanced nature is nothing short of maddening.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The moment I heard the chorus after that amazing build up I felt so disappointed and dumbfounded. It made me hate the song that exact same moment. I’m surprised you didn’t give it a worse review.
Other than that, I gotta say the MV was one of the most beautiful and artistic of the year. Shame it was all wasted with that chorus…
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I thought you’re gonna give this song lower than 6 lol
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What can I say? I’m feeling generous lately.
It probably deserved lower, but I like the verses and pre-chorus a lot.
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The chorus is like one of those fake-out chorus that got followed up with a bombastic one.
Except, this song never followed it with another chorus and we’re left with this weak shit.
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IMHO Dress Up could have been a much better choice as a title track, but SOSO is definitely not one of their worst singles. It fits the season with a “carpet mood” that’s not SOSO bad.
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Dress Up is definitely my standout, not that that’s surprising. I love me some retro funk.
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Never have I feel more frustrated with a song this year. Production-wise, it’s rather neat. It’s like my left ear likes it, but the repetitive, long-winded “SOSO, SOSO, SOSO” annoys my right ear. If only they had chosen a better word for chorus.
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Although you have to admit, the title describes the song quite well. Just eh.
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It sounds like two different songs grafted together.
The verses only sound better by immediate comparison – by themselves to me it sounds like they “phoned it in”.
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In my opinion, Wind (Yoony’s solo) is the best track of this album.
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First 1the9 releases a Blah song. Then Winner releases a SOSO song.
…is Kpop becoming meta?
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If your theory is correct, I’m gonna need Golden Child to make a comeback with a title track called “Perfect.”
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First 1the9 releases a Blah song. Then Winner releases a SOSO song.
… is Kpop becoming meta?
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Oops! I rewrote the comment because it didn’t show up the first time.
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