Mamamoo have not only proven themselves a force to be reckoned with, but each member has gone on to enjoy solo success in a variety of fields. Wheein seems perfectly poised for this endeavor, with a strong voice that can tackle a wide spectrum of genres. New single Water Color sees her paired with a retro groove, in keeping with K-pop’s 2021 preferences for bright synths and rhythm.
I’m happy to hear an uptempo Wheein title track. It would be easy for her to fall back on ballads. After all, she delivers them very well. But, a song like Water Color can also spotlight vocal prowess. It may not hinge on big power notes or emotional flourishes, but this style of rhythmic performance presents its own challenges and unveils its own strengths. Unsurprisingly, Wheein is a great match for the groove. Her vocal has a refreshing malleability, wrapping around the beats with ease.
In fact, much of Water Color hinges upon the strength of its performance. It has a nice, breezy chorus, but the melody doesn’t stretch itself in any notable way. Instead, this is a solid groove track, with every element intent on contributing rather than distracting. Each chorus culminates in a fun, glitchy electro riff. I would have loved to hear more of this energy spread throughout the track. Luckily, the instrumental is anchored by hearty bass, giving it a satisfying bounce. This compensates for the plainness of the melody during the verses, and keeps Water Color bopping along even during its less-inspired moments.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The songs that i like the most usually dont get high ratings here. But surprisingly the ones with higher rankings aren’t of my liking! I guess it depends.
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Different tastes, I guess. I’m glad you still visit even though we often disagree!
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It’s pleasant to listen to that’s for sure. I agree that Wheein’s performance carries the song, though the production is also good. However, I must admit it’s also not a song I’d prefer to listen to again. It’s a great song, and if I ever encounter it it’s fine, but it’s not one that catches my attention. Maybe it’s the fact that the melody needed to be workshopped more, maybe the execution was just too unambitious, or perhaps it’s because the song has a good groove but it doesn’t really bring out the excitement in me.
I find that the best songs are the ones that I can’t resist dancing too, and this one is produced in a way that should make me want to get out of bed and create a choreo on the spot but doesn’t really. I’ve had less dancier-sounding songs that make me get out of bed and this one doesn’t which is really indicative of how much I view this song I suppose.
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Yeah, I like this. It fits right into the ‘background bop’ category for me. Pleasantly surprised to see an upbeat solo release, I was also expecting a ballad to be honest.
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It doesn’t capture my imagination but I don’t suppose I would turn it off it came on the radio, probaly because I wouldn’t really notice it. She has a great voice but this bores me.
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same tbh..like im listening to it rn and i was expecting it to drop a beat and then go back but it was like a not as surprising rollercoaster…its great but very boring in my opinion
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There are times when solo releases should sound like a marking apart from the group, and there are times when sounding like an extension isn’t a bad thing.
Then there are solo songs like Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie” which did both – it sounds like Journey but without the burden of carrying all the instruments and their egos. ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krGdPoiCQ8I
This song sounds just like an old Mamamoo song back when they would actually sing, but with fewer harmonies and fewer bundles of personality. Wheein does an OK job covering all the parts, doing it all, but its missing something and that something is the other girls. Let’s be honest here, all these Mamamoo solo releases over the past year are really just because they don’t know if they want to stick around with each other anymore. This happens all the time in pop music, and I wish them the best of luck whatever happens here next.
Rating is a tad high – for me its closer to 7.5.
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I had that thought too. Kindof sounds like old Mamamoo but with noticeably less personality – that’s not a dig at Wheein, it is impossible to portray that on your own.
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I like her vocals, they are quite engaging, but the song gets a bit monotonous after a while. Rating would be somewhere in the 7 range for me.
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Its a bop I love this style of music! But ig I could see how this feels a bit safe
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Some of the sounds remind me of “Easy”, which I enjoyed, but I don’t think the hooks in this are as strong. Ah, Mamamoo, I miss your retro days of old.
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It is okay. It was fine for sometime, but becomes monotonous
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When i first heard the song… It’s not bad, it’s pretty good, but didn’t have anything that catches my attention? Deserves more recognition tho…
However, after listening to it the 2/3rd time because my sister couldn’t stop playing it, I really like it! I’m not into pop songs to begin with… but her b-sides are amazing ahahah
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