During VERIVERY’s debut year, their fun new jack swing sound set them apart from other rookies. It may not have built a huge fan base, but those of us who enjoyed it did so with a loyalty and enthusiasm that seems to be missing from their post-2020 work. Their Face It series unfolded as a string of diminished returns, and new series ‘O’ kicked off with the underwhelming Get Away. During these musical growing pains, member Minchan took leave to focus on health issues. He’s returned for new single Trigger, and if I were superstitious I might just believe he’s the group’s good luck charm.
Trigger is easily the strongest VERIVERY single since Lay Back. It retains the harder edges of their recent material, but in a way that feels different than their peers. Edgy boy group concepts are as ubiquitous as the circular building that appears in Trigger’s music video. Most opt for the same reheated blend of skittering percussion and distorted synth, making K-pop’s release slate feel like a musical version of Groundhog Day. Right from the start, Trigger’s quirky, plucked rhythm delivers a different soundscape. It’s no less aggressive, but catches the ear in a way that doesn’t feel complacent or trendy.
At its core, Trigger isn’t all that different from K-pop’s many ‘beat drop’ comebacks. But, it injects a bit more melody and uses a glitchy electronic backbone as its anchor. This gives the track a massive sound, pounding forward with a tactile appeal that elevates the so-so rap verses. The bombastic chorus echoes agency-seniors VIXX in the best way, but Trigger’s greatest asset is its willingness to grow. The song avoids predictability by breaking free from a lockstep arrangement. Rather than simply repeat its tricks over and over, Trigger builds to a ferocious vocal climax. It gathers steam as it goes, and this trajectory makes for a very satisfying listen. Like any great pop song, the listener leaves on a high, eager to experience the dizzying ride once more.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Of today’s three BG releases, I had the hardest time figuring out where I land on this one. I really like it for sure – it went right on the Bangers playlist along with the other two – but do I love it? Maybe? I’m looking forward to stages on this one – Verivery showed excellent showmanship on RtK and I didn’t get nearly enough dance from the MV. Or else I was distracted by That Building and how much some of the shots reminded me of the ones VICTON used in “Mayday”.
I playlisted the entire EP and am looking forward to repeat listens. There’s some interesting stuff on the b-sides.
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I was very distracted by That Building. I wonder what the heck it was suppose to be? It seems too small for some uses but too big for other uses.
If we are lucky, some fan will make a video for us comparing shots. Someone will, someday, whether we are still interested by then is another story.
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One of the bts clips I watched (ONEUS, I think?) said it was an abandoned school, which blew my mind because I’d been assuming it was a former military installation.
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Yeah, Loona’s Eclipse, Ab6ix’s close, Victon’s Mayday, and a Oneus music video was filmed there
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Oneus’ “To Be Or Not To Be”, Stray Kids’ “Hellevator”, VIXX’s “The Closer”, and I’m sure there are more.
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Damn, I didn’t even know vixx filmed a mv there. Companies really have to pick more original settings for their videos.
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I suppose that’s the downside of an entertainment industry in a country smaller than many (most?) US states whose only neighbor accessible by land… isn’t.
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Like MyBrain above, I didn’t know what I thought about this either. The staccato glitchy blippy blips are very interesting. The prechorus parts that evoke SuperM “100” prechorus are nice.
But in the end, it a no for me, as the catchword “Trigger” gets repeated a few too many times and it isn’t catchy enough. Also, boys and guns is usually a no for me, and there is no creative use here to change my mind.
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I recommend you check out the rest of the mini although you have issues with this track. They are well worth it.
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This is my favorite bg release of today. The verses are seriously off kilter, the prechprus is really nice, and the whole chorus is one of the best drops I’ve heard in the last two months. The whole thing is like a much more concentaated version of Just B’s Damage(which I already liked).
I hadn’t checked verivery out ount today, but I guess after this, I have to.
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i love verivery and i enjoy a good loud and busy track sometimes.
anyways, i was a little sad because yet again, no bright and retro verivery comeback (one day… maybe), and i honestly didn’t like trigger much back when the medley came out, so this was a surprisingly good turn of events for me.
but if i’m being honest, it’s more because of these amazing vocals and the great rap verses, because these glitchy sounds that go through the entire song annoy me a little, but the rest of the production made it work. for now, i would give it a 8.5, but i guess it will grow on me when i get used to those little sounds.
i also want to comment that it’s very funny to me that verivery’s last strongest track in your opinion was lay back, because i personally find “thunder” their strongest work, while lay back didn’t really do it for me. in the same way, i loved get away a lot lol
also, i’m very curious to which bside will be your buried treasure (or if you will choose any at all). i personally liked underdog a lot, but prom is also super good.
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Between this and Brave Girls “After We Ride” are you gonna place this in “the epic days of k-pop” section? Or did the other two songs held it back?
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I agree completely. I guessed correctly you’d give this between 8.75-9 🙂
This release made me excited like I can’t remember the last time a boy group release made me feel, especially a Verivery release. I’ve liked them a lot in their first year of debut but later releases did not do it for me. It was my wishful thinking that their plan was to explore a new sound in every trilogy of albums but that’s not quite what happens. So they may have abandoned the new jack swing sound but if they will continue in this style (hopefully work again with this producer), I’ll be very satisfied.
Also, this easily could have been Mirae’s first comeback, but their lost is Verivery’s gain (and what a lost it it since their teaser sounds like complete downgrade).
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You hit the nail RIGHT on the head! This absolutely could’ve (and should’ve) been Mirae’s comeback song. It feels very much like a sequel to Killa.
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I thought you would not like this at all 😂 It seems I still haven’t completely figured out your preferences 🙃 I loved how the chorus built up so fast – it was unexpected but so good! And the high note in the bridge was amazing! Verivery’s Get Away is one of my favourite tracks this year and I was looking forward to this comeback and this was really satisfying! 🙂
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VERIVERY always left me confused.
Now it’s no novelty that they changed their concepts and its associated sound. Lots of artists do that! But I say I’m confused because they implied they could go for a brighter sound when their performances had a mix of dark and bright songs back in RTK (looking at you “Beautiful-X”!).
“Lay Back” was the only conceptually ‘dark’ song that I can confidently say that I love and would gladly return to. The tracks succeeding “Lay Back” are fine (like “Get Away”) or are just not my cup of tea.
That’s okay! Not when “Trigger” has surpassed my past expectations of VERIVERY’s ‘dark’ title tracks. “Trigger” is dramatic at its peak and I’m all in for that. I think the best way I can explain as to why I like this was (to put it lamely) that there are more… stuff going on? Regardless, I fell in love with this song.
And a huge bonus: the whole mini is awesome. This might be my favourite mini this year, and I don’t say a lot, even for my favourite artists. All the bsides are great!
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“Trigger” is awesome and a well-deserved title for the mini…but..I’d argue that “Heart Attack” would’ve been a much better choice. That song sounds so old-school K-pop with it’s unpredictability and creativity!
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Nevermind, I kind of get why “Trigger” is the title track…It feels more cohesive.
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the ep is really strong throughout! while i like prom because it’s a cute funky throwback, and underdog feels like an upper-tier nct bside, i would definitely give the ‘buried treasure’ side to heart attack. besides the unfortunate second verse breakdown the song is near perfect. and im loving the key change at the end
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Okay so this song interests me the most because of the music video and not the song. The music video was very well shot and I really want to know the story behind it.
The song for me was an 8.5 because it was a smooth pleasant listen, but I am not super biased for it or the chorus. I’d say it was a really good comeback after get away. It fits the story they are attempting to tell.
Those masks in the mv…THATS how you make a statement. I really like the fashion in this comeback for the music video.
Despite me wishing they could go lighter again, they aren’t doing too bad with these darker concepts, so I won’t complain. Great job boys!
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I loved your whole article and how honest you are about saying your opinion clearly. I went down on the comments and read every one of it.
Really happy to see everyone being satisfied with this song and also appreciating the b-sides of the album.
Being a hardcore verrer, trigger took a time to grow on me, I’m surprised how the song has different layers like I wasn’t expecting the great vocal notes in the ends. While I am still not 💯 sure if this is my new fave comeback song but I have to admit they are making the songs according to the storyline. The lyrics and the whole mv goes very smooth with the flow of the actual storyline. Which is epic for me. I never thought how they are will go back n connect this song shots with their debut mv. There are many scenes which is clearly connect with Ring Ring Ring and that gives a more deeper impact on the whole storyline. Happy to see how they are still following the storyline neatly even after 3years with 8 comeback.
Love how they involved Minchan story n connect it with get away and trigger.
This made me looking forward for the next cb already. Overall I say it’s a good song and a great comeback as a whole
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This is very, very good. Reminds me of some of NCT 127’s best material (far from a bad thing)! Holy shit those high notes at the end. Like I’m not a strictly speaking vocals person, but a good song can be improved by some great vocals, and the vocalists are great in a way that I never got to appreciate even from their better past material.
Is this my favorite title of theirs? I’m attached to the new jack swing stuff (especially the earliest) but damn if they don’t pull this off.
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I’m not that familiar with them, but I like the EP with Laid Back on it, the clatter of their last single (especially Numbness with its robotic histrionics) and I really like this EP. ITA with everyone who wishes Mirae had gotten Trigger instead of Splash for their title track.
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It’s just such a good song with lots of tension, loved it
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