Monsta X have been building up to the release of their latest Japanese album, and recently unveiled its title track Flavors of Love. The song catches them in a lighter-than-normal moment, abandoning heavy production and stomping percussion for a laidback groove that shines focus on their vocals.
This is a gratifying turn. The group has excellent vocalists, but it’s hard to compete with the bombast that usually swirls around them. I feel like we rarely get to hear their vocal blend, or experience a dialed-down version of their charms. This is the greatest compliment I can give to Flavors of Love, because I find the track to be quite bland otherwise.
Like many K-pop and J-pop singles, this comes across as a copy of a copy of a copy. The instrumental lacks innovation. Its bouncy electronics have some character, but it’s a sound that should be retired for a year or two so that we have time to miss it and long for its return. Instead, I find myself using the word “plonky” far more than I ever thought I would when describing pop music. To be fair, Flavors of Love bolsters its familiar beat with strums of guitar that bring a welcome warmth to the track. Coupled with the group’s breezy performance, the song goes down easy. I love the sound of their voices during the chorus. I just wish the hook wasn’t so repetitive. Most of the melodies here lack imagination, which only adds to Flavor of Love’s feeling of ‘been there, done that’ familiarity.
Hooks | 7 |
Production | 7 |
Longevity | 8 |
Bias | 7 |
RATING | 7.25 |
Would rather watch Flavor of Love with Flava Flav… at least that’s entertaining unlike this snoozer
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I was wondering is somebody would mention this and I am not disappointed.
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Monsta X is another one of those groups that I was a huge fan of in their early years. Like other groups, my love for them has mostly faded, but a little bit of a soft spot remains. I’ve heard about 10 billion songs that sound exactly like this one, but it’s still cute. A background bop.
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Another song I would not be able to identify the artist without the name right there. Its ok, but generic plonk.
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Also released today is Yesung’s latest solo. (… of Super Junior)
Nick would call it coffee house music, but I call it upscale wannabe-jazz cafe with fancy martini in the late afternoon. Or to quote one youtube comment “His voice is like honey, rain, coffee, and the smell of a new book.”
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This is a little too repetitive and a little too cheesy for me to say I love it. It’s a light and fun song, but I prefer Wanted and also Neo Universe, which is pretty bright and has a really great chorus.
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