Thus far, Weeekly have rejected the popular girl crush trend for something sweeter and more approachable. In this way, their vibe reminds me of earlier K-pop generations. They burst on the scene last summer with the addictive Tag Me — a track they’ve yet to surpass (though March’s After School comes close). Unfortunately, new single Holiday Party hinges on too many 2021-era girl group tropes for my taste.
The song disorients us right from the start, unveiling off-kilter, chopped percussion. This settles into a straightforward beat that grows into a familiar tropical groove. Through it all, Holiday Party is built almost entirely from these percussive elements. I like this approach, but wish that more instrumentation would come in to inject the track with a new dimension.
Holiday Party’s sweet chorus is its biggest asset. It’s too reliant on chanting, but the melody is catchy and memorable from first listen. The girls sound great, coming together to deliver a campfire singalong that sounds carefree and exciting. However, this hook is repeated so often, with so little modulation, that it begins to wear thin as the song moves on. Holiday Party could have done with another blast of melody (maybe a post-chorus?) for more variety. The sing-song verses don’t help. They’re too throwaway to stick, and delivered in the familiar quirky-cute style that’s defined so much girl group output in a post-Twice world. I’d love to hear Weeekly tackle a more robust sound that lets them stretch their vocals. Holiday Party gets the job done, but lacks the kind of punch that would make it a great title track.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It’s really cute, but I swear I have heard this song several times before already. The verse sounds like something else, the prechorus like something else, the chorus like something else.
If there is something interesting, it is that this is the 3rd or 4th song released in 2021 by girl groups in this style which is set deliberately 10 or 20bpm slower than they would have been in prior years.
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Okay, I had the exact same thought re: the bpm! One of the first things I thought was, “oh it’s just slightly too slow, like STAYC’s ASAP.” but that song had surprising staying power in Korea, so maybe this one will be a hit too, who knows…
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It’s imagine dragon’s thunder.
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I really love Weeekly, and Tag Me was not only my favorite debut of 2020 but one of my favorite kpop songs in recent memory. Given that, my expectations are pretty high, and this was a bit of a letdown. There is no real melody in the verses or the chorus, and the prechorus is by-the-book enough to be mostly forgettable. While I didn’t love After School quite as much as some other people, the chorus was really well-written and the bridge was a true knockout. I attribute this mostly to the longer, more melodic vocal lines like “I’m so good with you” and Soeun’s bridge part. Here, the bridge is barely there and the chorus wears out its welcome after the 3rd or 4th time through. I think the members are all incredibly talented (and they sound great here, to no surprise), but I hope they are given stronger material for their next comeback.
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add this to the list of disappointing girl group comebacks with an amazing song before it.
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I had a bad feeling as soon as I heard those opening seconds, and unfortunately it only improved marginally from there… it’s their first title track I haven’t liked from the get-go. I mean it’s inoffensive and I’ll still add it to my library but it’s not the sound I prefer to hear from them, as one of my favorite rookie girl groups. As Myma mentioned, it’s just kinda slow in a way that doesn’t energize me like a “party” song should. It’s kind of like a sleepier downgraded version of “After School”…?
I always give their minis a listen though, because I like the girls. I can already say that I think I would have preferred “Check It Out” for a title track… but “Weekend” might be my favorite from this EP, although it’s a bit slow for a title.
By the way, this EP is aesthetically very different from the first three (We Are/We Can/We Play), so I guess that means those three were a stand-alone trilogy. That being the case, I really hope this doesn’t represent a drastic shift in sound that we won’t see them returning from, because their singles run up until now was so strong..!!!
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I already wasn’t a fan of After School (preferred Zig Zag), but this one is even less appealing than that.
I think the constant bounciness with the low tempo just makes this drag so much more. The chorus works really well melody-wise but it’s production crosses the line from quirky to just obnoxious at times (not to mention the execution of the vocals can be as well). Even the verses don’t really have anything to write about.
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The first three tracks made it on my peppy playlist, so that’s not too bad. I think I like “Check it Out” the best – the farty brass loops + kitchen-sink percussion + electronic whistle got me bopping. I agree that “Holiday Party” and “Weekly” both feel a little too slow, but if that’s what the domestic market likes then more power to them.
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I’m not the knowledgeable about production but for me the problem was the song sounded… cheap. I felt like the melodies were alright but could have been uplifted by a more robust production. Yeah the hook was eh. Not bad, but not great. The song just felt like a whole missed opportunity. The girls have some of the most energy and vocal talent in their generation, but I feel like their songs itself are always missing something. PlayM has such talented groups and feel like their songs as a whole don’t serve them justice.
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I really liked After School and I admit this doesn’t feel the same way.
But the funny thing is After School took around 2-3 days and a couple of listens to start looping in my head; but I’ve heard Holiday a grand total of ONE time and the chorus is already running in my head the next morning 😂
The chorus is repetitive but the melody there actually reminds of some old songs in a local language of mine… and because of that there is a nostalgic tinge for me 😅
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Are u malaysian?
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No 🙂
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A perfect sequel to After School would have been a Love Scenario gg vers.
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The line “Until the morning” gave me similar vibes to the Ark – the light’s line to “we’re in this for life, yeah”. Uncannily, both lines represent some kind of time limitation, and sung in a very similar rising melody, and sung twice in the chorus.
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I think this song is relying too much on the instrumental, which is just kind of whatever. What After School lacked in instrumentation, it made up for with its beautiful, emotional, versatile vocal melodies–but Holiday Party doesn’t really have that. The chorus is repetitive and monotonous, and the rest of the song, aside from the pre-chorus, is basically just sing talking, which I’m almost never a fan of. As a huge fan of Weeekly’s past title tracks, I’m very underwhelmed. 😦
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