Natty made her solo debut earlier this year, and reminded me of a young BoA. Her skill as both a dancer and vocalist positions her well for upbeat pop music, and I’m glad to hear she’s continuing that approach with new single Teddy Bear. From the title alone, you’d expect the track to be pretty lightweight. And, that quality is both its charm and shortcoming.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who flat-out hates Teddy Bear. It’s such an amiable little pop song, buoyed by a catchy guitar loop and satisfying percussion. The track unveils a solid groove right from the start, and rarely lets up. Its instrumental has a more organic appeal than many tracks of this genre, and comes across as rather timeless. Natty’s light vocal is also very appealing. Her performance embraces the rhythm, complimenting the production without ever stealing too much attention for herself.

This adds up to create a solid – if somewhat forgettable – pop song. But, the chorus could use more meat on its bones. It feels like it’s made up of a series of ad-libs rather than fleshed-out refrains. This skeletal approach leaves a hole at Teddy Bear’s core. It’s enjoyable, but hardly galvanizing. Yet, this sense of restraint has its benefits. If you’re looking for a bright, playful track to play in the background, Teddy Bear has you covered. Your head will be nodding and your toe will be tapping. You might even catch yourself humming along. But, I doubt whether Teddy Bear’s melodies will remain as potent in the long run.