E’Last’s Dark Dream has become quite a sleeper hit for me. I’ve always wanted to love the group’s music as much as I appreciate their concept, and Dream is as close as I’ve come since their 2020 debut. Back when the single album was released, I nearly wrote a “buried treasure” review for To.Lie. Luckily, I don’t have to regret any decisions because the song now has a music video with further promotions on the way.
This track is a hard swerve from E’Last’s usual symphonic style. To.Lie is an upbeat bubblegum boy group bop, very reminiscent of early-2010’s K-pop. You know an old grump like me is going to love anything that hearkens back to past trends, but that doesn’t give To.Lie a free pass. It’s not an outstanding or unique piece of music, but I’m definitely digging the nostalgia.
I’m not sure if it was intentional, but the song’s techniques recall some of that era’s most omnipresent producers. The chorus echoes Brave Brothers’ work for Teen Top, while that post-chorus swirl is pure Sweetune. Together, these influences create a fizzy headrush of light dance pop. The song is so fluffy and ephemeral that it tends to fade from memory shortly after its ended, but for three and a half minutes it’s hard not to have a good time. With that said, I can certainly see why the agency opted for Dark Dream as the title track. This feels very much like a fun fan song, not to be taken too seriously. If anything, it showcases E’Last’s versatility – a skill that’s become even more important in today’s K-pop marketplace.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
OK, look, ok the song is fine, bright theme concept. The boys as usual pull it off well.
Let’s talk about the agency people. At this point, if I am remembering correctly, they have done a traditional hanbok theme, dark theme, fun theme, theatrical theme, and now this bright theme. Its like a restaurant that serves Thai green curry, and sushi, and pulled pork sliders, and sole meuniere, and baklava. Pick one, people! Do it well!
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It’s a breath of fresh air compared to most releases nowadays. I love that it’s really fresh instead of aegyo and i enjoy this more than i should. I can see the brave bros and sweetune influences and i think the song also has the general vibe of an e.one song so the combination of those makes a good fresh pop song that feels just right ☺️
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Well aren’t they cute little bunnies?
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“The song is so fluffy and ephemeral that it tends to fade from memory shortly after its ended.”
Believe it or not, it didn’t fade from mine after listening to it last night, but I’ve been playing so much Rhythm Hive lately that I spent all morning remembering it as a TXT song. Also, it’s funny to see how seamlessly the pastel colors fit these sinister-looking dudes (though the green-haired one looks like he’s hurting).
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OK, I’m addicted to this 😳 (save me)
Would the gentleman, or anyone else for that matter, kindly point me towards more songs in this style? (With the chorus and “post-chorus swirl” you mentioned, more specifically).
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the song reminds me of up10tion i recommend checking them out, they have solid albums!
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This is my usual cue to mention TST “Wake Up”. Its less powdery pastel than this song here, but the vibe is similar (to me at least). Both are eminently fun sing along songs, sung through.
Aha, look loo, here is a music show performance where they are all in pastel pink, natch.
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