Review

Song Review: aespa – Savage

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aespa - Savage

As a day-one admirer of aespa’s Next Level, I’ve loved watching the song work its way into public consciousness and become one of 2021’s most iconic K-pop tracks. SM Entertainment is clearly angling for an edgier sound for the group, perhaps in an attempt to replicate BLACKPINK’s global success. But so far, their tracks have retained that distinctive SM quirkiness, making the whole gambit feel oddly authentic. And yes… when it comes to SM, a cover of a b-side from the Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw soundtrack counts as authentic!

Savage is aespa’s first single since blowing up, and could be considered even more important to their legacy than Next Level. Unfortunately, it fails to meet that track’s success. Right from its obnoxious opener, it’s clear Savage will be a very different beast. Gone is the funky electro backdrop of Next Level, replaced with clanging percussion that feels recycled from any number of BLACKPINK tracks.

As expected from SM, the most successful moments in this track come when the girls are allowed to rip the roof off with a series of power vocals. They remain one of the most exciting rookies when it comes to sheer vocal firepower, and I wish Savage offered more chances to fuse this bombast with distinct melody. Instead, aespa spend so much time chanting about how “savage” they are that there’s barely time for melody at all.

There’s not time for rap, either. Most of Savage‘s posturing is driven by the kind of sing-talk delivery so popular in this era of K-pop. The track wants to hit hard, but none of its verses do. And without a killer chorus to anchor the spectacle, Savage comes across as all bark, no bite. It’s not until we reach the final minute that the track begins to display potential, placing the girls’ sky high vocals over an exciting blast of electro distortion. I’m sure it’ll all sound great when paired with a live performance, but on its own Savage is a mess — and not in a particularly fun way.

 Hooks 7
 Production 7
 Longevity 8
 Bias 8
 RATING 7.5

100 thoughts on “Song Review: aespa – Savage”

  2. I’m not a fan of the song’s high notes at the end, and the bridge… was not what I was expecting. But I think it’s their vocals that keep me wanting to hear more of the song.

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  3. Yea I felt this song just didn’t meet my expectations or rise up to the level that “Next Level” set up. It felt like the female equivalent to recent NCT127 songs.

    On the other hand, many of their b-sides out did the title track. “YEPPI YEPPI” is my favorite off the album, it really sounds like an f(x) song and I like that. “Lucid Dream” and “aenergy” follow it. “I’ll Make You Cry” seemed to not really get off the ground, and it’s neither bad or great, it’s good. “Iconic” managed to do better than “Savage” as well.

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    • I’ll Make You Cry was the biggest miss on the mini in my opinion as well. You can kind of tell what they were going for but it never manages to get there.

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    • I was getting major NCT 127 vibes too. I’m surprised to hear there are b-sides though – I know I heard there would be but I kept forgetting. I’ll have to give those a listen.

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  5. It’s like someone mixed Lalisa, Gas Pedal and Sticker. I should love this, considering I love two of the above (guess which), but the verses and delivery are a bit too Lalisa than the others. I already like it more than I did on my first listen, but still, 8 from me. (7,9,8,8)

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  6. Please, the lyrics. The intro and the bridge were pretty messed up and from the teasers, I really hoped that sing-talk wouldn’t be the chorus and here we are, having that very same exact thing as the main hook.

    Otherwise, the prechorus melodies and awesome and especially the vocal adlibs at the end of the song were insane. Only if they had more opportunity to stretch their vocals.

    The rest of the mini is kind of messy I must say. I really have to give it another patient listen to find out which tracks are actually fine

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  8. I thought this was going to be another bad case of stockholm syndrome. But nope, too many red flags. Everytime the My Naevis I Love You part comes out, every inch of my body giggles and cringes at the same time. Cute choreography tho, they’re like robots dancing to pretty savage but make it quirky and weird 🌈

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  10. feeling like im in the minority here, absolutely obsessed with savage! (the “get me now tu tu tu tu” part is rattling around in my head nonstop) and i feel like it cleverly achieves a balance between vocal acrobatics and catchy sing-talk. but then again, im the same person that thoroughly enjoys everglow’s first so…

    also yeppi yeppi is definitely the buried treasure for me, loving the exuberant
    chorus ^^

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    • hahaha this is exactly why i loved it so much! I’ve been obsessed over hyperpop and pc music since a few years ago and I’ve always wanted a kpop group that followed that direction in their music. I get why many people don’t like the song as a whole, but for me is a banger: the production, the rap, the brash and distorted synths 🙂

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  13. Blackpink’s influence on 4th gen sound and concept is insane. I also immediately thought of blackpink except blackpink songs are addictive and are earworms. Savage is very cringy. The beginning made me cringe and the bridge was worse . I wish Sm gave them a vocal heavy song. Karina isn’t a lisa and giselle isn’t a jennie. They just don’t have the flow and charisma that bp duo has. I loved next level and black mamba but sadly this is one of my least fave comebacks of 2021.

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  14. As a 30’s korean myself, i feel outdated watching sticker, lalisa, loco, savage. Is this really cool for younger generation? there are no listerners around my age who feel comfortable listening recent releases from so called big groups from Big3. it is hard to say ‘experimental’. just a series of no impact. boring. Even though there were fine songs from big3 like skz or sm solo artists, but i really miss classic dance pop from sweetune, Brave Brothoers and Shinsadong tiger. E.one & monotree is the last shelter(+Rphabet) for me.

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  16. i saw the song name “savage” and immediately went into fight or flight
    i had, though i must say the bridge is pretty fantastic.
    rip nick, getting disappointed by two great groups in one day 😦

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  18. “I think all pop music should be about who can make the loudest, brightest thing. I think that’s just as valid as who can be the most raw emotionally… The challenge I’m interested in being part of is who can use current technology, current images, and people, to make the brightest, most intense, engaging thing” – Sophie, RIP
    (funnily this beat is really influenced by her work with Charli XCX and PC Music.)

    well…This is what AESPA and SM are doing!
    I have a lot of love for this track.

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    • I agree with everything here except for “engaging.” Savage is intense and big, but it doesn’t have the melody or hooks to fully engage me. Honestly, that’s been my problem with a lot of K-pop this year. I’m all for big, bombastic and edgy. But, there’s still gotta be a song underneath all of that bluster. Otherwise, it’s just a performance piece.

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  20. well then…

    As a converted Next Level lover, I was super excited for the comeback, especially because we finally get an album this time, but the teaser dropped and I was already worried…and yeah this isn’t it for me. The instrumental at the beginning is like the equivalent to Sticker to me, in that it instantly grates and immediately makes me want to stop listening. aespa’s vocals are great as usual, but unfortunately the best moments happen over top of the chorus (which is incredibly annoying to me) and the bridge (which sounds great except I can’t ignore “my naevis, we love U” LOL).

    Speaking of the lyrics, I said the same thing about Next Level, but it seems they’ve stepped up the Kwangya stuff even more, and then paired that with a MV that actually has somewhat of a story…it’s extra impossible to ignore now, as much as you were able to do that in the past. But I don’t want to speak too much on this or else I might get slapped in the face later when I start unironically chanting the made-up words a few months down the line, the way I did with Next Level lmao

    Anyways, I still need to check out the album, but at the moment Savage is definitely a disappointment.

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  21. I wasn’t a fan of Next Level… I’m also the rare person it didn’t grow on either. But this? I love it. I wasn’t a fan until the first pre-chorus his though. It feels like it has elements of f(x) and even Red Velvet in it. The mini does quite well for itself too… I’ll Make You Cry is probably the only real miss on it for me.

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  22. I don’t know if I like Savage or not… It’s a lot. But the chorus won’t leave my brain… I find it quite catchy actually. Liked some of the albums songs, felt the f(x) inspiration on it.. To me Aespa’s album is a hybrid between f(x) and NCT and it works for their concept of AIs and such. I also believe that if I was a teenager, I would be all over that MV.

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  24. It´s weird but i like it. It´s too much BlackPink but it´s still better than BlackPink for me because of the power vocals. It´s a little cringy but Next Level was it too and here we are. I´ll just embrace the parts that i like without much thought of it, i´m tired of pretending that everything i like has to be “good”.

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  25. the lyrics this time… just horrible. what the hell is Yoo Youngjin doing? the track is growing on me, but I don’t see myself liking it the way I liked Next Level. YEPPI YEPPI is the best song on the album, I need a full album produced by Coach & Sendo for the girls.

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  27. i have a lot of heart for this track and the mini in general, just because it feels like yoo youngjin paying homage to older sm groups’ production and sounds in all of aespa’s work. however, savage is my least favorite out of the group – i do love winter’s role as changmin on this tvxq / exo mama era track but the rap from karina and giselle + the lyrics pull me out of it. i am very appreciative that ningning sings like she owes me money a lot but worry for her vocal chords. overall looking forward to aespa as a strong contender against bp and itzy.

    for the mini, i find it to be a good time for the most part except for aenergy giving meaning to wtf xenoglossy means. particularly like yebbi yebbi as it’s a rv red era song and i’ll make you cry for how tackily decadent the chorus is.

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  28. The chorus reminds me of the “I’m the biggest hit on the stage” part from Cherry Bomb which I think might be the reason a lot of people are saying it sounds like an NCT song. This has grew on me more than I expected but I think it’s mainly the bridge which sounds like it should be part of a better overall song.

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  29. im neutral about the song so far idk if my thoughts will change overtime and lucid dream is definitely the burried treasure for me a huge bop

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  30. i think i have to accept that i’m just not gonna like aespa songs. i’m sorry but this sounds terrible to me. it has no melodic substance at all and sounds so disjointed. it feels like so much badass posturing “i’m the best look at me i’m savage” yada yada yada which is like most groups these days including my faves but at least they have melodies and hooks and are not just a bunch of annoying sing talking. listen the girls are great, they have amazing vocals and they’re decent rappers and performers but their songs are just so ughhhh. it just sounds like noise. no cohesion whatsoever. i felt the same way about next level. i like messy songs when they sound like they want to have fun (icy, zen, igab) but aespas just sound like they’re trying too hard. i really want to like them cause they look so cool but they’re just not for me

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  31. I fucking love it.

    First listen: the instrumental is absolutely fire, vocals idk
    Second listen: I love the instrumental even more, vocals start to make more sense
    Third listen: this is what kpop needs rn

    It’s like Sophie x Dorian Electra x NCT had a baby and I am HERE for it.

    Sue me

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  32. Well, it fits the trend: I loved “Black Mamba”, felt meh about “Next Level”, and I strongly dislike this. I can only assume that I will hate their next release with the fire of 100 suns.

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  36. I’m in the minority here, as this is by far my favorite Aespa release! Someone above mentioned PC music, and I think the pots-and-pans clanging in the chorus is really reminiscent of some of SOPHIE and AG Cook’s work. I also love the way Winter’s vocals constantly sound like they’re about to max out the mix – it really contributes to the artificial sci-fi concept and aesthetic. And something about the second half of the chorus where the vocalists and rappers are layered on top of each other just scratches an itch at the back of my brain. The lyrics are still absolute Kwangya gibberish (and “Naevis, we love you” is legendarily bad) but I can mostly pretend that they just don’t exist. For all that the obvious comparisons are there, this doesn’t feel like a Blackpink knockoff to me; it feels more unique in its futuristic sound.

    The mini is also really good! Yeppi Yeppi is the clear standout and a contender for my B-Side of the year, but Lucid Dream and Aenergy are also pretty good. I was really underwhelmed by Black Mamba, and Next Level just barely grew on me, but this is a winner.

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  37. Oof I find this genuinely unpleasant to listen to. It may grow on me the way ‘Sticker’ did despite also initially finding it grating, but I sort of doubt it.

    Next Level was perplexing and kind of out of left field but ultimately a banger, and I was hoping they’d embrace the weirdness and go forth being bizarre and fun. Alas, going to echo earlier comments that this is like a blackpink-nct 127 hybrid made up of only the worst parts of each of those groups.

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  39. This has all the red flags for me. Anti-drop chorus, idols singing about “going hard”, sing-talking, etc. “Savage” is honestly a recipe for disaster. On paper, this should be everything I can’t stand about Blackpink and similar derivatives.

    So, why did I love every single second of Savage?

    Execution is critical. I think any concept is possible in kpop, you just need the skills to pull it off. Savage works for me because it feels like everyone involved in the production had a legitimate understanding of the source material that they pulled from. That source material of course being, as many before me have said, PC Music. Sophie especially. Every ounce of this track just oozes with a sincere love for hyperpop. Let’s see if I can’t run down this song a little and explain what I’m so infatuated with it.

    Winter’s opening line is so silly that I can’t find it in me to cringe at it. So over the top, so bratty, so sassy. All things I love about kpop.

    This isn’t anything I’ve heard from anyone else, so maybe I’m in the minority, but I loved all the lyricism here. While it’s not putting Kendrick Lamar in his grave or anything, it’s much more focused than a lot of other “girl crush” or “badass” concepts. There’s nothing in here about being rich or famous, and no lies about how gangster or “raw” they claim to be.

    We have a simple story of “protagonists versus the antagonist”. It’s a pop song, we don’t need anything fancy, just a cohesive theme. There’s a lot more here than just telling the audience that Aespa goes hard. The lyrics give clear tells as to just how powerful they are. The Black Mamba doesn’t just lose, it hides from them, and its visions of victory are simply “hallucinations”. Aespa isn’t just on top, they have complete control over the situation, and metaphorically “control your time and space”.

    THAT is badass. Posturing about being the “realest” kpop idol is so masturbatory. I already know it’s fake and manufactured, that’s not the part I care about. I just don’t want you to lie to me about it. Crafting a story and “lore” to use as a creative canvas is so much more interesting to me than just regurgitating lines you heard on a trap song.

    Some other lines that stuck out to me were “Deep fake on me” and the bridge. That deep fake line is actually really fucked up. Legitimately shocking and provocative. I expect it to be extremely controversial in the coming days.

    Anyways, the lyrics about the naevis were rather odd. I don’t know how much of that weirdness is intentional or not. “Post-irony” is quite common in hyperpop, so this could be kiiiiind of genius. The bridge comes out of nowhere, and talks about the naevis’ “sacrifices” and meeting after the “resurrection”…? Naevis sounds Christ-like here. Some cool theories discuss the Black Mamba as encouraging people to break away from their “ae” (the version of themselves that they pretend to be online) and to usher in an age of genuineness for an internet culture that is consistently irony-poisoned. This means that the “Black Mamba” could be the real protagonist of the story, and the Aespa members are blindly following a false god (AKA social media). I would be impressed if this was the intended storyline, as it sounds a little too self-aware for a kpop corporation to sign off on, but it’s fun to think about regardless.

    Wow, kpop lore analysis. What has my life come to?

    Back to the song. This beat is everything. I suspect that I’ve been waiting for this song since before it even existed. Every Blackpink derivative wants to have bangers, but they just don’t have the production chops. Some might argue that Teddy doesn’t even have them anymore. My point being that if your beat can’t carry the song, you’d better have some fantastic songwriting to make up for it. Spoiler alert: most don’t. If you don’t have the beat or the songwriting, chances are your song falls flat, and I think girl crush groups in particular often fall victim to this.

    Savage shows complete and utter domination in this regard. Every kpop song in this style now has the cards stacked against them. This instrumental is brutal and ruthless. Any song that doesn’t live up to this heaviness will sound weak and hollow in comparison. Worst case scenario, kpop sucks forever and I am forced to reminisce about the good ol’ days. Best case scenario, girl crush groups get their head out of their asses and just start calling some new producers up. I’d love to see more music from some real underground innovators, (like SOPHIE’s Itzy track) and I think it could very well happen if this song is successful.

    The mixing is great, and just a little messy in the right ways. There’s no ridiculously uneven volume balancing like Loco. There’s buzzing/sizzling on some of Ningning’s lines, and Giselle has some real swagger and punch on the second verse. Reminds me a lot of Jennie’s charisma on Kill This Love.

    The performances in general here are the best Aespa has done so far. Next Level really grew on me, and I think it’s because they have a unique pull in their vocal delivery that was incredibly interesting to me. Aespa is even more aggressive and fierce than Next Level, and I’m certain they’ll get even stronger as their careers progress. Winter’s vocals in particular are super dynamic and powerful.

    On the other hand, I have absolutely no idea why I like the chorus. It’s insanely catchy, and there are some cool melodies here. They’re just low-key compared to the rest of the song. Instead, the pre-chorus feels like the climax to me. It’s not quite ideal, as a song that builds from start to finish is almost always my preference. That being said, I still enjoy what comes after.

    My apologies to anyone who makes it this far, this is such a disjointed read. My brain is mush, but I can’t stop listening to this song. It’s the first step into new, uncharted territory for a girl group, and I respect SM for taking a risk on another weird track instead of just riding off the wave of Next Level for the next 6 years. If they continue in this direction, I have no doubt that Aespa could have their own “Red Light” in the coming years, and I couldn’t be more excited.

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      • 100%. I totally understand why it didn’t gel with many. I was even somewhat shocked that I liked it so much. Sometimes there’s just something that ticks your boxes in just the right ways, even if you’re unsure or confused as to why.

        Er, does that make sense?

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      • It’s definitely structurally similar to IGAB, but I don’t know if it will have quite the same level of longevity that Red Light does. I think Savage certainly has comparably impressive production, just that its chorus and bridge aren’t nearly as solid.

        I love the song now, but I think the best measure of a great song is longevity. Will I still love Savage a week, month, or year from now? Only time will tell. I still listen to Red Light, 7 years later.

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    • This is fascinating because you list all the reasons that I absolutely dislike the song – but then you still feel differently! It is genuinely fascinating to see how opinions can go in completely different directions.

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  40. The verses I can hardly remember. I love the vocals in the song but I can’t remember the pre-chorus or bridge either. The chorus is catchy and I really like it when the vocal echoes the “gimme gimme now” part. The breakdown is very exciting aswell. I’ve listened to this song about four times already; I should remember more. Unfortunately, it’s a blackpink song that’s less obnoxious.

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  41. Truthfully I was expecting a lot more esp because I loved Next Level. I have to admit the first thing I thought of when I heard the song was called Savage was Black Pink’s Pretty Savage. Some parts of this song are really interesting and could be turned into something better but idk it kinda just falls flat. I doubt i’ll have this on repeat the way I did with Next Level. Ironically enough, it might be better for SM to continue to take b-side tracks of things, purchase the rights and give it some SM styling and flair because this song is not it. The only thing that made me keep watching was aespa themselves.

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  42. Well, I don’t want to say too much now just in case Savage grows on me, but it’s safe to say I was very underwhelmed by the song, as opposed to Next Level and Black Mamba. The album is nice though.

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  43. “Why are men great ’till they gotta be great?” Is what I think every single time a group sings about how “savage” and “scary” they are. Rarely will a song come off as cool if you’re reminding me once every two lines how awesome you are and it becomes awkward and off-putting.

    The only song I can think that has ever pulled it off is ‘I Am The Best’ and that’s because the bragging was bolstered with a killer instrumental and that’s why it worked.

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  44. I’ve already written a long YT comment on my feelings about this song and I’m too lazy to put the whole thing here. 😂 But I’ll put one thing which really stands out as the reason why after Black Mamba, Aespa’s music has been a complete miss for me.

    I never get the vibe that they are comfortable with this style. Not at all. And with Savage I just feel it even more strongly than Next Level.

    With NCT I have a love-hate relation with their songs 😂 As predicted I have listened to Sticker every time I get the chance and hum it shamelessly to my horror… The thing is no matter how weird the song is I feel the idols embrace it so well!! They look really comfortable executing it – whether in the MV or on stage – they never look out of place.

    Black Mamba was my fave and what drew me to Aespa. Still the most comfortable vibe I’ve got from them was Forever lol. And that kinda makes me sad. I don’t really like the “attitude-driven” style and even more so when the idols look so out of it. I don’t want to see them be the next Blackpink as SM so badly wants to label them… I want to see the first Aespa! 🤗

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    • I don’t want to speak too much for a performer I don’t know, though I agree that they don’t seem super comfortable with this style yet. That could be down to a lot of things, but I tend to just attribute it to inexperience. As with any group that posses a lot of potential, I’m certain they’ll hit their stride in the next few years.

      Just off the top of my head, Blackpink felt like they nailed their aesthetic and charisma about 2 years in with D4. Twice really got their foot of the ground (conceptually, not musically) with Knock Knock and Signal. Maybe boy groups are a little better about this, as Stray Kids and NCT had solid concepts that the members seemed to fit right from the get go.

      My guess is that Aespa either gets a lot better at what they’re doing now, or they’ll shift to some adjacent styles/concepts to suit the members strengths as they are right now. Either would be interesting and exciting, and watching groups improve over the years is one of my favorite things about kpop.

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  45. I wonder of Yoo Young-jin intentionally references older songs he has written or if certain melodies just stick around in his mind. There’s a small part in Savage’s bridge that sounds specifically like a part of the bridge in EXO’s What is Love. This same melody has popped in other SM songs but I can’t recall them.

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  46. This song was designed for me to dislike, from the lyrics to the production. I dislike everything about it – well, no, there’ s some good vocals towards the end. I enjoy the bridge for a second or two, but then there’ s ‘my Naevis, I love you’ and the cringe destroys any listening pleasure.

    Well.. that was not a very nice way to come back to commenting. Hi new commenters, I promise I’ m not usually this disappointed or critical! ;_;

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  47. The song started of underwhelming, but it really developed well. I loved the rap, (talk) part too. They have got some amazing vocals. I may be the odd one out here but I liked it better than Next Level, so long since I’ve actually liked a badass concept song.

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  48. Savage is unusual but it fits the story they’re trying to tell and their image. I’m somewhat divided but l like the vocals part and the final part with all the vocals and distortions. If the Korean digital charts is an indicator, the general public seems to be loving it very much. Yeppi Yeppi is cute since it’s very easy to digest. I love it.

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  49. Is there much of a point to Nick reviewing anything with a remotely hip-hop forward instrumental or even resembling a trap beat etc? You already know what he’s gonna say before you read it. “Nas’ Illmatic shows flashes of promise, but songs ultimately fizzle out, with no real build, momentum or payoff, and one-note melodies that drag down his solid rhythmic performance. The production by committee on this one leaves it feeling disjointed, making one wonder what it could have been like if every song was done by Pete Rock” etcetc.

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    • I’ve actually been listening to a lot of hip-hop lately! (Granted, most of it isn’t K-pop.) I just don’t particularly care for this song.

      Sorry my reviews read as monotonous to you. In my defense, I’d challenge you to write and post four separate reviews in one day, while working full-time and having some semblance of a life outside of the internet. Then multiply that by 2,048 days and see if you can keep it fresh. I’m trying my best.

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      • Personally, though I don’t know whether this rings true for Nick, I do have my favourite genres and least favourite genres. However, I believe execution is what determines whether I enjoy a song.

        For instance, I groan at a second verse trap break, but sing the praises of Kazino by Bibi. I like synthpop, but have barely listened to Sunmi’s new song as opposed to Dua Lipa’s Physical.

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        • Very true. Of course I have my preferred genres (who doesn’t?), but it irritates me when people make sweeping statements that assume I hate an entire facet of music. I love music too much for that. I’d argue that 99.9% of K-pop is at least somewhat hip-hop inspired, so I’m not sure why I would’ve created this blog if I hated it all?

          Take trap music, for instance. This narrative has been constructed that “Nick hates trap,” so now even if I mention it in a completely neutral way people assume I’m hating on it. True, it’s not my favorite genre in the world, but it certainly has its appeal. Hip-hop was a huge part of the music I grew up on. I soured on it a bit in the mid-00’s because – like many genres – the execution began to feel generic and samey. With trap being so ubiquitous these past few years, I’m in the same place with hip-hop as I was back then. Maybe I’m just not listening to the right stuff, but production-wise it doesn’t feel all that diverse at the moment. At least when it comes to the more popular, mainstream hits.

          But yeah, execution is the key. Idol music doesn’t always incorporate hip-hop into songs as well as Western acts. I tend to gripe about songs that do the same thing everyone else is doing. The “half time second verse” is a great example of that. Because I write about K-pop songs every day, I probably notice these patterns/similarities more than a casual listener and they irk me more. But really, if a series of reviews reads as monotonous or predictable, it’s because the execution of the songs I’m reviewing is monotonous and predictable.

          With all that said, I don’t think Savage is all that predictable. To me, it sounds more inspired by EDM than hip-hop, so I’m not sure why this criticism was levelled at this review in particular. In fact, I specifically wrote that I wished there was room for *more* rap and less sing-talk.

          And on a related note, the song’s already growing on me…

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          • Something about Savage felt familiar and finally it clicked: The song’s structure reminds me of Super M’s ‘One (Monster + Infinity)’, which ironically is a song that works better than Savage.

            I think Savage’s main problem is that instead of going straight into singing the chorus, they decide to chant it BEFORE going into the vocals. This kills the mood before it has been fully created. Not to mention, the bridge doesn’t help by adding some “Naevis we love you” line that gives me secondhand embarrassment. Maybe they were trying to make it sound like a cult motto, but it really just sounded silly and childish. They should have sung it instead of saying it.

            And yes, I liked the raps the most in Savage. Especially the one Giselle opens the 2nd verse with.

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      • I’m just being a jerk 😉 If it were my blog, people would be complaining when I gave anything that uses the disco-funk throwback template a 2/10 on principle (it’s enough, already) so you’re probably trying harder to see the good in the trends you’re not 100% on board with than I would be. Your biases are a lot different than mine but I read this site because I do a weekly kpop radio show, and you review basically everything/have put me on to more than a couple songs that I probably would have missed because they don’t really fit into my natural listening habits – and you find out pretty quick that your programming abilities don’t go very far if you only ever play your existing favorites. It’s only because I’ve been such a loyal reader that I’m able to identify the patterns, I promise 😉

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        • I think comparing any girl group song with a brash tone and rapping to Blackpink in a negative way makes me think, “Look, they’re not all going to be KARA songs”, and I think that’s where I got the “Yes, hip hop/trap beats bad, melody and power vocals good” thing from. But my initial comment was a bit of a stretch, you’re right

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        • I appreciate you saying this, and I’m glad you stick around even if our tastes don’t always align!

          I probably took your comment a bit out of context as well. It touched a nerve due to past comments/feedback I’ve received and I think I read it as more negative than it was. 🙂

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