Review

Song Review: Everglow – La Di Da

Posted on by 71 Comments

The 80’s electro K-pop trend is in full swing, and long may it reign!

Up to this point, I’ve enjoyed most Everglow singles, but never found one that really struck a chord with me. February’s Dun Dun offered a glimpse of potential, showcasing a refreshing fierceness. But, new single La Di Da blows that wide open. Yes, it happens to draw from one of my favorite musical genres, but the song itself is also incredibly strong.

If you’re going to aim for “cinematic 80’s synth,” you might as well make it as towering and majestic as possible. Right from the start, La Di Da hits hard. After a warped vocal intro, the instrumental sweeps in with force, unveiling a monstrous synth loop that becomes just as integral to the track as the girls themselves. This impressive production frames an exciting verse, where Everglow essentially duet with that synth line. La Di Da’s pre-chorus removes some of the bombast, but succeeds in crafting an atmospheric segue that further cements the song’s evocative style. I could complain about the constant self-referencing of the group’s name, but in the context of a song this great it doesn’t even bother me.

As K-pop begins to rediscover the beauty of a good chorus, tracks like La Di Da really elevate. The hook here is a thing of beauty, unfurling two potent refrains. They’re different but complimentary, and pair together to create an irresistible centerpiece that sends the song soaring. Additional production flourishes (filtered guitar, a neat synth breakdown) ensures that La Di Da remains dynamic until the end. This is the sound of Everglow reaching a peak I never knew they had in them, and quite possibly the best girl group song of the year.

 Hooks 9
 Production 10
 Longevity 9
 Bias 9
 RATING 9.25


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71 thoughts on “Song Review: Everglow – La Di Da”

  2. May 80’s retro reign throughout of 2021!

    They transformed 80’s pop into something big!

    I know another group which can do that later in the future. *Turns 360 degrees to face Golden Child and Sweetune*

    I too give it 9.25

    best girl group song of the year?

    I love it but I think this is the BEST TITLE TRACK (I Think that’s what you meant but still)

    La Di Da can’t win when this is existing:

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  3. This is kpop meets Dua Lipa with a Lalalilala chorus and it’s perfection. I’ve been iffy on their songs since their debut, but everything about this comeback was perfection (artistically & musically wise).

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    • I personally loved Future Nostalgia but I honestly don’t think any song on Dua’s album bar Love Again comes close to the quality that was exhibited by Everglow today. FN is quite overrated and pales in comparison with What’s Your Pleasure and The Slow Rush yet I would still credit FN and After Hours for this ongoing retro revival.

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  5. This song is an absolute delight to listen to. Where was this kind of sound earlier on in 2020? We are getting spoiled in September–this is one of the most enjoyable months of K-pop I’ve experienced in a long time.

    As for the song itself, the second verse is the only part of the song that gives me pause. I was expecting a generic trap breakdown with grating hi hats or an irritating loop during E:U’s part, but La Di Da thankfully filters out most of the sounds I would find out of place and gives us a more bass-heavy sound, which I love. Plus, I am just loving the bass line in this song, so this rap breakdown brought out one of the more outstanding elements of La Di Da and made it the focus. That is good writing in my opinion.

    Everglow is one of those groups that I like a lot, and their music is very good. They have a lot of personality and they’re fun to watch. This is the first song of theirs that I absolutely loved and will be playing on repeat. This is a solid 9.5/10 for me and easily the best girl group song of 2020 so far.

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  6. Probably one of my favorite tracks this year! It’s so cohesive and bombastic! If I were to rank the best tracks this year, it would go like this:

    1. Everglow – La Di Da
    2. Apink – Dumhdurum
    3. Fromis_9 – Feel Good
    4. April – Lalalilala
    5. Itzy – Wannabe

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  7. After itzy’s ‘not shy’ which failed to impress me I was really very scared for EG’s comeback. but it didn’t disappoint me. Jyp should also experiment more with Itzy. Maybe something good will come out.
    Nick did you checked checkmate’s debut. It’s a Co ed group. They might make you interested in them too like kard (if you adore kard).

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  8. .
    So, OK, it does the job. I’m sure the fans will be thrilled, fine by me.

    It doesn’t keep up the momentum in verses 2 and 3. Sure they are at the bpm, but the music is too drop out so it loses the intensity. There was a time just a few years ago when I used to describe kpop as “relentless”, but those times are long gone. A key change for the 2nd verse would have been awesome, and again for the 3rd. No, they wouldn’t be “earned” key changes but it would be better.

    The percussion line reminds me of “Maniac” from Flashdance. That synth, I can’t place it right now, but it could be twelve different 80’s songs.

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    • Untouchable is great and seems to be more of a sister track to the title but honestly No Good Reason is growing on me in a big way. I don’t know anymore which I like better, though I do think La Di Da is still the clear standout. Still, this album is a top-3 album from 2020, honestly–only four songs, but all top-shelf. (Even GxxD BOY, which is a step down from the rest of the material, works. Whoever produced this album, PLEASE keep working with them.)

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  10. Bon Bon Chocolat finally is topped.

    This song sounds like Yuehua listening to fans’ complaints and actually fixing them all. Everglow fits the retro aesthetic as much or even more than their anthemic sound.

    The trap after the first chorus is not it though..but that’s the only complaint I have throughout the whole song.

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  13. That’s how you do a post-chorus trap break down!
    Introduce a new synth element that compliments the existing arrangement.
    If it wasn’t for that arp I think the momentum would be lost, but I think the “world of the production” was maintained
    Keep it 8 bars long (4 bars E:U, 4 bars Mia)
    Then get out of there and keep the new synth part going until the next pre-chorus

    this song kicks ass!

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    • Now Im all about the old and gold but anyone else find it kinda sad that the best stuff off today is stuff from 80’s, 70’s and 90’s? Can we no make our own good sounds?

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      • 1. In a way yes because most of the one hit wonders did the synth overload and the 80’s is filled with one hit wonders. Though when I personally think of 80’s pop music, I think big and bold and synth is not big and bold.

        2.Oh Im sorry, asia is a band, ever heat of the moment or who will stop the rain.

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      • First of all, per my comment below, Asia is the name of a British band.

        Second, it depends. Some 80’s such as the “New Wave” were essentially all synth, though most added a real instrument here and there if not on the record then certainly in concert. They all had to record the song so that it could essentially be played live somehow without having a row of people standing behind synths looking all boring. (Or add theatricality somehow else.) These tended to be British, with a heavy dose of northern UK, such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, OMD, Eurhythmics, Pet Shop Boys, plus some from continental Europe like Nena, a-ha, Alphaville, Kraftwerk.

        But then there were the bands who had synths with a lead guitar, bass, drums, and sometimes a 2nd guitar. Journey, for example. Mr. Mister, Van Halen, the Police, Genesis, Simple Minds, Duran Duran. Again a mix of US + UK + continental Europe. Most Aus/NZ 80’s hits in the US/UK are in this class too, Men At Work, Crowded House, INXS, Icehouse.

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    • .

      Oh, you triggered me here! Wah! It’s just not the same, is it?!

      In real 80’s the synth served as the point or counterpoint to the other parts of the song, such as a second synth line or the guitar, so it was more than bam bam bam on some chords. The songs with synth chords with no synth melody were album fillers. And here, the synth chords are just in the basic position too, there is no cool inverted positions or 7ths 9th or diminishes, just bam bam bam almost all 1-3-5’s all the way down.

      So per your example, Asia, “Don’t Cry”. Asia is the name of the band. The synth and the guitar play off each other from the very start. And then the drums kick in, and away we go, layering more complexity not just repeating the same bam bam bam chords.
      ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwFbNlQMGQM

      This is also where I usually mention Depeche Mode, Erasure and/or OMD, so instead I’ll mention New Order “Shellshock” as a classic of the genre. This is/was what we now call an OST’s from back when.
      ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcB_IqzUEaA

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        • Oh this is great, in a cheesy retro 80’s way. Headband, ruched lame’ prom dress. (“lah-may” as in the shiny fabric, not lame as in sad.) Are those ballet pointe shoes? It sounds like it could be an album cut off of Expose’ (Eks-poh-zay) which was an 80’s girl group with a couple of big hits in the US. See for example ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGi3AvfFfuA or ‘ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v8YragSIuI

          (I don’t know how to do a clickable youtube link without getting the whole big thumbnail – what magic characters do you use?)

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    • Normally, Im all about blackpink bashing but this one doesn’t make any sense blackpink don’t have the voices for retro.( not that it matters underneath all that synth}, everglow have 4 dancers , blackpink have 2 and whenever Jennie feels like she wants try, so that choreography really wouldn’t work and YG even at their most hardworking was all about urban and electronica themes and sounds except for G dragon, so they wouldn’t even do a song like this.

      Wait is this a girl crush song?

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    • I understand that early in their career they definitely had a BP-esque girl crush thing going for them, but this is way outside what I’ve heard from Teddy’s sonic vocabulary.

      This evokes more, idk, 9MUSES/KARA (but not really, just the soundscape) and I fucking LOVE it.

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    • I’m sorry but I don’t see any hint of Blackpink enough to remind me of them in this song. Sure EG had that “BP” vibe in their past songs but I don’t thibk BP is fit for retro

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  20. Song is amazing but I wouldn’t say the best of the year. GG music in the beginning and of recent was actually really strong. Fiesta, Wannabe, Lalalilala(however you spell it), Dumhdurum, Naughty, Apple, Psycho, Oopsy, ASSA (troll anthem), Tag Me, Butterfly etc. Honestly kpop Ggs did better this year than last year (aside from Twice and maybe BP)

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    • I was about to point out that Butterfly was a 2019 release then I remembered that it was a WJSN song. It’s good, but it didn’t stick around as long as I’d’ve wanted it to. 😦

      I’m not sure I’d say girl groups did better this year, tbh. This is the year I almost became a boy group stan, though tbh the boy groups not named Stray Kids/Ateez/SuperM/NCT 127 haven’t been spectacular either. I think that the only girl groups that really improved from last year are Dreamcatcher (who had a good 2019, but have been insane this year), GFriend (admittedly not a fan of Fever, while Apple and Labyrinth are incredible), 3YE (who have done a great job establishing themselves), and now, Everglow. Everyone else stagnated/disappeared (CLC, WJSN, GWSN, LOONA, Busters, Weki Meki), or actively got worse ((G)I-DLE). That and there’s way too much chirpy sing-talk with no actual hooks.

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  21. As someone who was indifferent to their 2019 material (Bon Bon Chocolat was gratingly repetitive, Adios was what every swaggy lumbering chorus), their 2020 singles have been on point. Dun Dun was a fun piece of pop that actually aged really well, and this might be even better. Love the 80s vibe, but more importantly, that chorus is a killer.

    Tthere are moments of frustration where I wish it didn’t stop and go so much, and the pre-chorus melody reminds me a little too much of K/DA’s Pop/Stars, but those are minor gripes. I am really enjoying this.

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  22. I hope this is a sign of Everglow’s future ’cause both the song and mini album are GREAT. I think No Good Reason, in particular, is as gorgeous as La Di Da in its own way.

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  25. I knew you’re gonna like this 🙂 I absolutely love it, too. Really liking the 80s trend recently in K-pop. “Pporappippam”, “When We Disco”, “Initial S” and now “La Di Da”. Awesome!

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  26. hmm… I like it a lot but it’s not quite that amazing for me. The production just came off as too 2020-80s pop, almost like they’re a little bit late to the trend (maybe bc it sounds a lot like “Blinding Light” and “Physical”). Personally, the melody itself wasn’t that interesting and I found it to be a little underwhelming overall given the hype. I think it does demonstrate a new avenue for Everglow’s futuristic sound to explore, though, which is very promising. I guess I just prefer the EG that delivered “Bon Bon Chocolat” and “Adios,” to this version. Kudos to them for trying something new, though.

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  27. I’ve listened to La Di Da 3 times so far and every time I hate the rap verses & that “la di da di da x2” talk rapping in the chorus even more. I love the instrumental & the chorus but those two things (rap verses + bratty spoken “la di da” in the chorus) just ruin the energy & momentum of the song for me TT^TT

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  28. I know I’m in the minority here but I absolutley LOVE Everglow’s music! Adios was actually my favorite song last year. So for them to surpass that is incredible! And Everglow will just keep rising!

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  31. I am not as exited about this song as everyone else seems to be.

    I do like the 80s vibe, I do like the chorus. But it’s not a knock-out for me. I miss melody in the verses and I’m not a fan of most of the rap. I also feel a weird mismatch between the writing and the style of the song- ‘got no time for haters’ somehow sounds strange when put to an upbeat but kindof somber-toned melody. I suppose I was expecting a line with more emotion? I don’t know..

    I’ll gladly take it over their previous material though. If this is going to be a trend in kpop I am here for it.

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  32. Well, Everglow, you’ve got my attention!

    The rap sections don’t really land for me, but the rest is pretty fantastic. Not my girl group song of the year (still bewitched by GFriend’s Apple) but definitely up there!

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  33. I’m a little surprised you didn’t mention that trap-rap breakdown. Of course it’s expected at this point, but it was still a bit of a momentum killer. Thankfully, the chorus is good enough to save it.

    Easily their best single. 8.5/10

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