One of 2021’s most welcome trends has been the resurgence of classic second-gen groups. Whether this comes via rediscovery of old tracks or the embrace of new comebacks, it’s gratifying to see these established acts get their due.
The latest group to make a long-awaited return is 2PM. Make It (해야 해) arrives almost five years since their last comeback. That’s nearly as long as the typical idol contract! The guys’ 2015 hit My House has enjoyed a resurgence over the past year or so, and Make It seeks to follow in its smooth, seductive footsteps. But, five-year hiatuses tend to send expectations skyrocketing and I don’t think this song measures up.
I can clearly hear what the group were hoping to get out of Make It. It’s got a similar groove to My House, while saving room for the kind of bass-driven, drop-style chorus that’s all the rage this year. But, the track feels surprisingly dull. It lacks a sense of dynamics, coming across as little more than an enjoyable groove. And without a hooky melody in sight, there’s not much to latch onto. The chorus is downright boring, offering a flat refrain that never builds to any climax. And while I appreciate the sprinkling of keys throughout the instrumental, the track is so inoffensive that it borders on characterless. I’m honestly shocked at how safe 2PM played this.
In the end, the guys’ engaging personalities and performance drags Make It over the finish line, but goodwill and legacy can only carry you so far. You’ve got to have the tunes as well!
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Well I like it, a lot.
Welcome back 2pm.
Sure, its like My House updated with piano instead of acoustic guitar. I also heard a lot of that “jazzy” style sprinkled throughout contemporary kpop like Moscow Moscow and whatever BtoB did on Kingdom. Best of all, it has an actual melody. Its not teh most ambitious groove, but it is pleasing to sing along to.
Also, like true 2nd gen pro’s, they actually sing it live live too.
‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQmopPf8rzQ
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes, LIVE SINGING FOR ONCE!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, the chorus is kinda boring, but the pre chorus is so good I don’t even care about the chorus.
8 for me.
Also, I didn’t know it was their first comeback in 5 years! That’s a seriously long time, even for a veteran group.
LikeLike
Oh, I’m kinda surprised by the rating I thought you would like it more! I think it’s really fun and I’m enjoying it a lot. I’m just glad there’s a proper melody and one I can actually remember lol.
LikeLike
I guess I’m not hearing the memorable melody that others seem to be. Even after half a dozen listens, I can barely recall anything about the song.
Maybe it’ll grow on me?
LikeLike
Hopefully, I’ll have my fingers crossed! But I totally get it though, that’s why it’s fun to read reviews and comments and see other opinions!
LikeLike
You’re falling off Nick even Magoogle liked this
LikeLike
To be fair, I think this is much more a “myma” song than a “nick” song.
LikeLike
I may have forgotten to mention that anything with Taecyeon gets at least an extra half point being Mr Hotness Captain Korea. Another half point for real live live singing. And as a bonus, melody too.
That said, Nick and I aren’t that far off, this song here is low 8’s for me = his 7.25 + 0.5 for Mr Ok and + 0.5 for real singing.
LikeLike
Awww 2PM, I waited so long for you! And this is not it 😥
LikeLike
Seriously, I love it ! I don’t know what you are listening to …
LikeLike
Haha the same song you’re listening to! We just have different opinions and that’s totally fine.
I did just listen to this again (in the car, this time) and was grooving right along. But, I think my quibbles really come down to how blunted the melody seems.
To use a crude drawing I just made myself (lol), if you were to trace a song’s melody along a line representing a midpoint, the upper graph is more what I tend to like, while the lower one is more representative of this song.
I think this subtlety is what “Make It” is going for, and it succeeds in that aim. But for me it makes the song less memorable once it’s done playing.
LikeLike
My House getting a little resurgence + me getting into the JYPNation rhythm game led me to listen to 2PM this year, and so I was pretty excited for their long-awaited comeback! It plays out largely as I expected, so even though I agree the chorus is a little flat, I think the song is really groovy and fun! I also think the MV’s concept is hilarious, it’s ridiculous in a way that totally suits their image.
LikeLike
This is right up my alley, a bit slinky, a bit jazzy, a bit funky. I don’t know much about 2pm, so I’ll just fangirl over these vocals I don’t remember ever hearing before – I want to eat them with a spoon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The vocals are very old school JYPE! At first listen; when it popped up on a playlist, I could tell what agency it was even before I realised the new 2PM song had actually dropped. I’ll hold back on commenting further, I’ve learnt that my first opinion of a song and how often I listen after that to it don’t actually correlate at all 🙂
So glad to see our 2nd gen boys back! SHINee, 2PM, Highlight, 2021 is pretty damn awesome! Just need BIGBANG to come back, please?
LikeLike
Ah yes, 2PM the MEN GROUP. Such fine-looking men. Such refined masculine charisma! A bit of a bummer that I can’t seem to remember what the song sounds like even after a few listens.
LikeLike
I’m okay with enjoyable groove. Maybe it’s because I got into kpop recently and haven’t listened to a ton of second gen stuff, but this felt new in an old way, like a comfy chair at the end of a long day on your feet.
As a side note, I’m not mad at My House, but am I the only one who finds the majority of the recent covers super cringy? A.C.E covered it for the 27th Dream Concert and it was excellent, because A.C.E, but it reminded me how the majority of covers made me feel like I was being invited over to play video games, which is clearly not what the song was going for. Hopefully that particular craze is dying out.
LikeLike
I love it! It is easy to my ear; a relaxing groove with pared down instrumental, slow built, a bit of brass/jazz after bridge. MV is a feast to my eyes (smooth choreo and great wardrobe selection). These 6 guys are fine species 🙂
LikeLike
How much I wish 2.5 gen B1A4 to come back as a group of 5 with a new song from Jinyoung…
Their 2020 album is decent but not on par to the emotions it brought compared to their older discography.
LikeLike