Though still mostly-unknown, boy group E’Last has gained admirers with their unique symphonic sound. Both of their singles have felt refreshing within a stale boy group landscape, though I don’t think the group has yet harnessed their full potential. Underwhelming melodies have caused both Swear and Tears of Chaos to fade quickly from my playlist.
When Dangerous was released back in November as an album track, I nearly featured it as a buried treasure. The song incorporates a lot of what I love in K-pop. Parts of it have that dramatic, driving dance beat so common in the industry’s second generation. The group’s theatrical flourishes remain, but the track is more upbeat and propulsive than either of their singles thus far. Yet, Dangerous was ultimately too fragmented to really capture my attention.
Now that the song has a music video, it’s time for a reevaluation. Having not heard Dangerous in well over a month, I’m struck by much of the same feeling I was last year. Its chorus is its best moment, pulsing with an intensity that should have been fostered throughout the entire track. Instead, Dangerous spends way too much time plunging into tiresome breakdowns and flirting with deep house touches. The various elements add up to a disjointed whole, with too much stopping and starting to leave much of an impact. I applaud the song’s willingness to play with form and genre, and it actually does a pretty seamless job switching between vastly different elements. I guess I just long for a dance track that stays a dance track for its entire running time. That’s surprisingly difficult to find these days!
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The chorus is awesome! The rest of it, not so much. Well, OK, I appreciate how spare the arrangement for long stretches, which allows for some vocals to shine through, if only for moments.
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I would’ve really enjoyed it if it weren’t for the random post-chorus drop after the 1st and 3rd choruses.
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I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it if not for the unnecessary post-chorus drop after the first and last chorus. The beginning instrumental reminds me of GHOST9’s W.ALL.
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Somehow this posted twice. My bad.
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I hope there will be a resurgence of dramatic boy group songs, E last, ONF, Golden Child, ATEEZ, Stray Kids and GHOST9 should better prove me wrong!
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It sounds like I am going against the idea, What I meant to phrase is “E last, ONF, Golden Child, ATEEZ, Stray Kids and GHOST9 Should do it and are candidates”
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As the groups you listed are all on my radar, I completely agree. I have high hopes for all of those boy groups for 2021.
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That pulsing dance chorus is great and there’s a lot to like here, but the song as a whole is definitely a bit too disjointed to fully work. I do think this group has a lot of potential though!
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The opening was lovely, but then it was broken up by the rap break…oh well.
I really like the descending key or descending notes used a lot (I think its that? I am not a music major by any means) and good vocal processing.
The overall vibe is THERE, it just was not well stitched together. Like I love pieces of the song, but not the song as a whole. My favorite parts are the bridge and the opening. The choreography is also on point which really makes the song stand out in the end.
I would not say the song is a total slam dunk, but it surprises me in pleasant ways that I had yet to hear this month. I also give it 8/10.
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The chorus is amazing! Parts of the verses sound really good as well – the very ’empty’ arrangement puts nice emphasis on the voices.The slower breakdowns however really drag the song’s energy down. The way it just grinds to a halt after the chorus is so, so disappointing.
Regardless, E’Last is now officially on my radar!
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