It feels like ages since WJSN made a comeback. I’ve missed their music, and consider them one of this generation’s most consistently great girl groups. Apart from a few notable offshoots, the girls have cultivated an identifiable sound and twisted it just enough to remain fresh. New single Unnatural twists that style a bit more noticeably, offering a club-ready sound that sharpens their ammunition but loses some of their unique appeal.
I really should love Unnatural more than I do, but there are a few things keeping me from fully embracing the track. First, I think the key is much too high throughout. The chorus and parts of the pre-chorus — as catchy as they are — come across as strained. That runs counter to the polish of the instrumental, making for a jarring contrast. I’ve always loved WJSN’s vocals, so I think this is more about arrangement than ability. And while Unnatural‘s atmospheric club sound might be a slight shift for the group, I feel like some of its elements have been overdone by boy groups these past few years. The laborious verses are too sluggish for their own good, and I’m not a huge fan of the muted synth that opens the track.
But with those gripes out of the way, there’s plenty to like about Unnatural. It often has a thumping energy that reminds me of the best IZ*ONE singles, and the rhythmic pre-chorus is a real treat. This repeats later during the bridge and again just as Unnatural draws to a close. It’s undoubtedly the song’s knockout moment, especially when the group forges together to transform it into a galvanizing chant. There’s certainly potential here, and I can imagine WJSN turning into queens of nu-disco. But, I think there are some kinks to work out first.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
This is their best title track in ages, but their b-sides is still where it’s at. New Me and Yalla are amazing.
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my first comeback as a ujung! really loved this song but it took me a couple tries to get into it. the instrumental is bouncy and fast, and i’m amazed that they handled all the switchbacks for all ten of them as well as they did within the track. i agree that some of them sound quite shrill here – especially yeonjung who was in a perpetually higher key than the rest of the main vocals for the whole mini in general – but i think (like you said) it is a matter of arrangement rather than the girls themselves. i wish they let dawon take the chorus for the whole song instead. also is it weird to think that this song is almost too fast? i wish that the funky pre chorus and the actual chorus were flanked by a better transition into the verses. comments aside, i appreciate that it’s ushering in wjsn into a more polished sonic era that they could probably fine tune for upcoming cbs moving forward.
on another note, the girls look amazing and the choreo is fun but i hate the editing for this music video with a passion. really gave me a headache the first time i watched it. thankfully the live stage exists so i can thrive there but lord.
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the bsides are incredible too btw. such a strong and well done mini – especially loving yalla, new me, and super moon. even the closer rewind is beautifully sung (with my favorite daughter dayoung able to shine in the chorus). you can tell that a lot of time and care was put into the production as a whole.
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I really like the atmospheric quality of the song, esp the pre-chorus. The song reminds me of iz*one.
Off topic- Nick, SHINee’s coming back!! A repackage is coming, with 3 new songs!!! We predicted it right!!!
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SHINee will be Back Back Back?!
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As much as I love SHINee, I am mostly excited about ONF’s repackage this month, especially after I heard The Realist and Secret Triangle. They are a group which can turn everything into an aggressive, unique dance track! And that sci-fi concept? Just excellent.
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Having heard SHINee’s title, I can say you should be very excited about it 😉
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I wish I was there for the live! If there is any chance, can you describe it to me?
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It’s VERY classic SHINee. Sounds a little like Code but faster. Has the drama of Sherlock, though it’s more electronic than funky/brassy.
That’s all I can remember. I loved it at first listen, though. I’m very eager to hear it again in studio form.
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Is there any chance I can like your comment twice?
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Yep. Too much good is happening that it sorta confuses me. Too many debuts and comebacks this month. I feel like we’ll have a slow may?
Anyway, ONF’s concept is just>>>
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I know right! I love ONF’s concept photos, it seems so epic and great. Love the sci-fi aesthetic, I hope the song is as good.
And while we are talking about the song, I want the title track to be something in the vein of KAT-TUN’s Triangle.
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My biggest gripe with the song is how short it is. the chorus could’ve benefitted from a post-chorus like the one in the final chorus. other than that, I mostly love it, I have been waiting for new music from them since Butterfly and they did not disappoint. New Me and YALLA are fantastic.
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The vocal straining bugs me too, however, it’s more that I can feel the strain in the front of my face rather than the contrast with the instrumental.
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This one isn’t as catchy right off the bat like some of their other tracks
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What struck me the most is that this is their shortest ever title track, clocking in at exactly 3 minutes. I think for that reason the song never got to groove properly overall that their usually 30+ more seconds could’ve given. Not to mention that it didn’t stick in my mind immediately but I still like it quite a bit and all the line distribution feels even. The mini is solid as well – I don’t love it as immediately as Neverland (my favorite mini since ‘the secret’) but it all stacks up nicely, with New Me being a personal highlight.
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It sounds like an Izone song with less horns
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i also noticed that it was like, super high but i wasn’t sure if that was because of the song itself or their voices. (its probably both) i also didn’t really like the editing or the effect on the vocals?? i personally would have preferred a cleaner sound, but its not as if it ruined the song for me or anything. overall i liked it more than i didn’t.
oh yeah, there’s no mv or new single promoting it so i wouldn’t be expecting a formal review, but have you checked out the new album morning musume released today? pretty good imo
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Ooh, I’ll have to check out the Morning Musume album. I haven’t connected with many of the Hello Project singles lately, but these girls usually deliver.
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First of all, I flove the prechorus and its nice short phrased rhythm.
Enjoyment of this song seems to depend on how much you like have a piercing high D# assaulting your ears. I am glad it is not only me. I bothered to go to a lyric video and it seems like it is 4 or 5 of the members, so its a systemic problem in this song. The vocal coach, the post production, what. Is it only the youtube version or is the streaming version better? It is not any better on the itunes sample.
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Personally, what I think the song needed:
-Bass guitar on the chorus, it is pretty thin without bassline acting as an anchor. The instrumental in the dance break should have been the hook and the opening of the song instead of using the synth.
-More bounce in it.
-I don’t know why but I would have put “Oh, I’m unnatural” as the first chorus and then the “how do I breathe” as the post chorus but with the same instrumentals just the melodies switched.
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Oh, I love this song. I mean, I love IZONE’s sound, so I guess that’s to be expected, and since their disbandment is eminent I’m delighted to hear this coming from a group like WJSN– with a touch less aegyo, which I’m not complaining about.
Oddly, the melody reminds me of a Kylie Minogue song, or like this old one-hit wonder….
Anyway, a retro vibe!
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*imminent, I mean. I know English….
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I guess their disbandment could also be “eminent”… at least to the haters?
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Pack it up, dad!!!!!
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I only have bought 2 or 3 WJSN Cosmic girl songs over the years, so when I went back to look at their other songs to remind myself I was genuinely surprised to see that the debuted in early 2016. I think in my mind I conflate WJSN with GWSN and a few other ABCD named girl groups.
GWSN Girls in the park, yes!
(and I l follow a lot of kpop, so if I get them confused, it is confusing)
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Ha I haven’t heard this song in a loooooong while. I don’t think it was ever a hit in the US, but I remember hearing it pouring out of the UK high street shops whenever I was there, whatever the ZARA of the day was back when.
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You may have a point… because my strongest memory of the song is having a camp counselor force me to participate in a dance routine she choreographed to it. And now that I think of it, all of our camp counselors were from Europe for whatever reason.
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I like the song just fine. It would be nice if the vocals were pitched down (my cat definitely agrees on that one). I’m just not sure if I like this song for WJSN. Going through 2019, WJSN were building steam through their space synth pop sort of sound and “special albums” like For The Summer could have had them locked down for a “summer queen” title too. And then came…. nothing? Butterfly was a bit like Unnatural, perfectly decent but also perfectly forgettable buried in a pile of better, similar tracks or just identifiable for a song’s artist. I think this will have more longevity than Butterfly, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Starship is starting to shift gears into the once a year comeback territory for WJSN. Lord knows it’s exactly what they did for Sistar as well… even the random offshoot subunit feels like a similar move even though the sounds and concepts are different.
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The song was fine but it just didn’t feel different to me. It just felt like any other song they produced or just like Izone. It was fine but To be honest don’t get offended this is just my thoughts but I didn’t like the song at all. Other people really enjoyed song though which was nice to hear. But for me especially if you have listened to many kpop songs over the years and until now. For some reason this just felt the same, I didn’t feel anything. But their vocals were straight on that’s what I loved but anything else was just a no for me. They did great though.
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