Last month, GOT7 announced their departure from JYP Entertainment. And as the members started signing with other agencies, a reunion or continuation of group activities seemed more and more unlikely. Yet, out of the blue a new GOT7 youtube channel appeared this week, with leader JB (now coined “Jay B”) promising that the group isn’t disbanding, but ‘going their own way.” It’s all a bit cryptic, making Encore even more beguiling.
As a piece of music, Encore is boilerplate “song for the fans” material. I expect its legacy will have more to do with the speculation and conversation it spawned than the track itself. But having heard different iterations of this “fan song” template throughout the years, I can confidently say that Encore is above average. Co-written by member Jinyoung, it sounds more like the work of sub-unit JJ Project than GOT7 proper. And I happened to love JJ Project’s output, so that’s no bad thing.
The instrumental has a muted quality, with most of its elements heavily filtered. This lends it a transient nature that draws upon nostalgia and the passing of time. In other words, it’s a perfect arrangement for a song like this. I especially like the use of keys, which give the track a driving rhythm that helps support the anthemic melody. Melodically, Encore actually reminds me of former agency-mates DAY6. The chorus, especially, harnesses the kind of surging melancholy found in many DAY6 ballads. Of course, the song’s lyrics are more celebratory than melancholic. We’ll see what this musical promise ends up delivering in the long run, but at the very least this is a solid capper to the first seven years of GOT7’s career.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Jinyoung is a great songwriter, I’ve really enjoyed almost every song he wrote for the group over the years.
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Though I haven’t really kept up with Got7 since..2016(?).. I feel strangely proud to see them break free from JYP and go their own way. I like this, the muted sounding production is interesting. I’m reminded of how much I love Jay B’s voice as well. He sounds great on this.
There’s even a ‘skrrt skrrt’ in there (3:21), but this one I will let slide without complaint 🙂
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Despite not being a die-hard fan, I enjoyed this song for what it was. Like Discount Seungmin said, I’m happy to see the group get out of JYP, where it was becoming increasingly clear that they weren’t getting the time, or money, dedicated to them that they deserved… Pleasantly surprised that they were actually able to deliver (and so soon!) on their promise of making more music, since usually when an agency or group promises that after members go to different agencies it rings hollow – not necessarily because they don’t want to, but because it must be a logistical nightmare to coordinate a comeback like that. Here’s hoping that they’re able to keep doing this, since they all seem to be genuinely good friends and to enjoy making music and being in a group together.
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Uhm hi Nick, dont know where else to ask this so…
Could you recommend me some good songs from Infinite members solo work?
Thank you in advance haha
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(I am not Nick, but I really like Sungkyu’s True Love! Such a dreamy song, beautiful chorus, and heart-melting performance as expected from him TT. Link: “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3Vdwrbhig” )
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Rather than individual songs, I would recommend listening to my top three Infinite solo albums:
1. Sungkyu – Another Me (literally flawless from start to finish)
2. Sungkyu – 27 (esp. The Answer & Kontrol)
3. Woohyun – A New Journey (esp. Hold On Me)
Also:
Infinite F – My Heart Is Beating
Infinite H – Special Girl, Aren’t You Going Somewhere
Woohyun – Everyday
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even without my stan goggles on, i’m was very pleasantly whelmed after thinking i would hate it. as you said, it’s more a statement piece and i’m glad that it’s so celebratory rather than overly nostalgic – i think that jinyoung (even if he is my all time favorite ever) tends to be very lyrically nostalgic so i’m glad his points came across. i’m excited to see what songs they will release for the future (especially yugyeom with aomg) and am so glad my favorites are starting to thrive after years of jyp’s neglect.
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You forgot 1 imporant criteria to evaluate an art: the Emotion score…A good song does not need to be perfect but it moves your heart. For this criteria this song really is outstanding and represents a whole era of idolity and fanship! but yes, it is hard to evaluate that criteria as it depends on individual views!Thank you!
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