TOO’s 2020 debut left me a bit cold, but their summer follow-up ended up being one of my favorite tracks of the year. Its bright, exuberant sound fit them especially well, and helped distinguished them from other boy groups. But, every rose has its thorn, and Count 1, 2 ended up being TOO’s final comeback before switching agencies and rebranding as TO1.
This second iteration doesn’t seem drastically different from the first, but Son of Beast is much more hard-hitting than Count 1, 2. Thankfully, much of its edge has a funk-flavored overtone, making most of the track feel quite nimble and energetic. True to 2021 form, the song opens with a deep rumble of bass guitar. This rhythmic backbone has quickly become omnipresent in K-pop, which means producers need to work even harder to forge a unique, satisfying melody to counter the sense of familiarity. I’m not sure that Son of Beast quite gets there, but it does have its moments.
Though it’s very repetitive, I enjoy the song’s cheesy hook. “I’m a son of a beast” makes for an awkward chorus, fraught with potential for misunderstanding (we all know what word might replace “beast”…). But, the vocal layering delivers an addictive texture, aiding Beast’s funky assault. It becomes especially fun during the final chorus, when that refrain interacts with a secondary hook for a call and response energy. Unfortunately, the track is also home to a truly flagrant display of ‘second verse half-time breakdown.’ It takes awhile to recover from this energy vacuum, leaving a disappointing hole in the middle of the song. But in the end, Son of Beast has more high points than low. It’s a solid rebirth for this promising young group.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
NICK, I prewrote three notes for three different songs, and the first one of course had to be the one that I didn’t even write stuff for. This really slipped by my radar.
Anyway, definitely the bad second verse breakdown. But that hook and chorus is so fun. This will be a fun song to sing-along to in the chorus. I’M A SON OF A BEAST! God, that hook will absolutely invade in every day. It’s just fun honestly. Son of Beat is just enjoyable and it gets a plus from me for that.
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Shoot Nick, my pure mind was totally fine with the ‘Son of a beast’ hook until that comment. Darn…
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Really? That was the first thing I noticed, and I laughed my ass off as I realized how fun this song was going to be.
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I guess I am too naive and innocent. I enjoy that though.
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Old age has its benefits.
Also being a native English speaker, that too.
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When I read ‘we all know what word might replace beast’ the song hadn’t gotten to that part yet, and I could not think of it. Until I heard it. The delivery and phrasing of the sentence in the song makes it so obvious. It’s been a while since I laughed out loud.
I’m rating this line ‘craptastic’.
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When I first heard the teaser, I thought they were saying “son of a b****”, I had to double check and listen again just to make sure what I heard was wrong lmao
Anyway, the song is good… but it somehow didn’t catch me that quickly unlike when they were TOO (damn it cj, I hate you). That energy from the start caught me off guard though, and that made me focused during the whole 3 minutes. That trap rap needs to disappear though…
The song also reminds me of some jpop songs, maybe because of the amount of cheese it has lol. Overall, it’s pretty strong and solid for a re-debut, and I’m excited to see what path they would venture onwards. I’m rating this an 8.5.
Also, the mini album is packed of Monotree! Goodness, this is really a treat for me.
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That chorus is hilarious lol! I was like… what did they just say?!
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The chorus is hilarious already. But it get even more so in that English version of the song. I can’t stop giggling
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I quite enjoy the song, the funky bass instrumental is all I was wanting from them. But man, I can’t not laugh everytime they ‘woof’ in the middle of the chorus, I don’t know if it was to be badass or something but it’s too hilarious for the wrong reasons!!
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This is fun and groovy. I’m beginning to wonder if I understand what this break-down is that seems to bother everyone. Is it the rap section? Something else? It all seems to flow smoothly to me so I don’t get it.
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It’s the rap section at the tail end of the second verse. It’s not the rap itself. It’s the instrumental, and how it upends the tempo and flow. I’d rather the rapper just deliver his verse over a slightly modified version of the already-established beat. For me, the switch-up is a real energy/momentum killer.
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I have a feeling that in a year or two’s time, I am going to wonder what happen to ___ band while in the quarantine fog, only to learn that they disbanded and reformed once or twice over, and I had no idea.
Well Hot Damn. Full marks for cleverness. Wait a tick, there is an English version of this song …. runs off …. comes back …. ah, kind of bland, I was hoping for more cleverness. The delivery is so straightforward, simple, and well done that the song is a good ride.
If I had one wish, one dream scenario, it is what would OnlyOneOf have done with this material.
The song also reminds me a bit of the kitsch song “Sorry for my English” by In2it from summer 2018. In2it also disbanded after a short but good fun run. I am linking the full thumbnail, because it deserves it.
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Yes! I’ve revisited this song a few times and still love it. It’s so extra, campy even? Like a kpop song dressed up to go to a (very historically inaccurate) 70s themed party. Wonderful stuff. Too bad the guys disbanded, I wanted more of that.
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Long have I awaited a meme-worthy line like this. I was afraid the era of craptastic lyrics had passed, but this gives me hope.
In the final part they just chant “Im a son of a- ” in the background, which is glorious because it sounds like they’re censoring themselves. I almost can’t believe this is unintentional.
Oh, the song? It’s pretty alright. I like it – small l, as Myma would probably say.
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Oooo I was so confused who To1 was until I remembered- oh yeah TOO had to be rebranded.
However, this track compared to magnolia as a debut is certainly a step UP in my opinion. It is relaying a funky trend that I’m kind of too used to hearing now, but they do it fairly well. The vocals are very promising.
And of course the signature line. Absolutely perfect. Wouldn’t have it any other way 🤣
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Well, well…if that isn’t the best hook of this year yet. The catchiness is almost on the level of “Tribe be da loca”.
I would have loved for them to change up the chant occasionally with “I’m a son of a best” with “And you’re son of a bitch”. Just have them alternates constantly, that’s my dream hook right there.
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a bit late but i found out son of beast has the same producer as fantastics stop for nothing (which you gave an extremely favorable rating for)… definitely need more of their presence in kpop! christian fast is also producing ghost9’s title tracks so im really anticipating that!!!!
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