Ha Sungwoon has one of my favorite post-Wanna One careers, and that continued with August’s fun and funky Strawberry Gum. Recently, he’s announced his departure from Star Crew Entertainment — his agency since debut with boy group Hotshot. Before he moves on to other ventures, he’s put an exclamation mark on this era with the release of new single Electrified.
Electrified fits well within his 2021 work. It’s smooth and rhythmic and vaguely retro. The energy is a bit more subdued this time around, opting to cast an amiable groove rather than swing for the rafters. This is fine, but threatens to make the song feel throwaway when compared to more ambitious efforts within this genre.
The song opens with the familiar sound of rhythm guitar, soon joined by bass. The instrumental remains consistent and slick throughout, buttressed by Sungwoon’s soft vocals. Electrified incorporates a ton of English, though its catchiest riff harnesses that most universal of pop music languages: la la la. I tend to prefer music that builds to notable climaxes, and I think this fun post-chorus hook would have been more effective as a come-down from a big, dynamic chorus. Alas, Electrified just isn’t that kind of song. Sungwoon is well within his right to cast a charming groove and luxuriate in it, and I suppose this makes for a suitable capper on his time with Star Crew. But with this sound so prominent in K-pop at the moment, songs like Electrified have to work even harder to stand out.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Oh, Ha Sung Woon, you naughty naughty boyfriend. You have given me a dilemma.
As I draw up my year end list, “Sneakers” is right on the boundary of low teens and top ten. The multilevel, multipart chorus is great. But to push it into the top ten over others, I need other reasons and circumstances.
And then I get a song like this today, and its a good song. Its a fine song, pleasant, but could be from any one of the dozen or two other male soloists promoting this year. I’m going to take it anyway because I am a sucker for my Sung Woon, but does it help Sneakers sneak into my top ten with the horse trading give and take of ranking. I am thinking, aigoo, maybe not. It doesn’t put a tidy bow on the end of the year.
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I do find myself thinking about “Sneakers,” Taemin’s “Advice” and Woosung’s “Dimples” as the 3 best male soloists from this year.
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Check that. They’re in the Top 5 including Key’s “Bad Love” and Kim Sung Kyu’s “Hush.”
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And there is a long list of others in the Ha Sung Woon tier too. On my own long list, in addition to the ones you mention:
Do Han Se
Nam Woo Hyun
Woodz
Heo Young Saeng
Kim Jae Hwan
Jung Seung Hwan
Gaho
Wonho
Hong Eun Ki
JDon
someone called NIve pronounce neeve
Also
Leo
Eunhyuk
Ten
UKnow YunHo
Kyuhyun
and many more! These are only the ones I have actually bought.
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I’m going to have to give some of these relistens as I quite like a few of them – Gaho, NIve, WOODZ, Kim Jae Hwan, Wonho, and Eunhyuk are all on my currently very long best of list. I think Hanse’s a lock for top ten.
I’ve playlisted a few from Ha Sung Woon but for whatever reason I’m not as fond of him as I feel like I ought to be.
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Key, Taemin, Sung Kyu, and Woosung are on the long list as well.
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I loved everything Wonho did to Blue. Devil is one of my favorite ballads this year. And Ten got me to listen to super-simple pop stuff i don’t usually like and enjoy it.
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Kim Sung Kyu “Hush” is another one just inside my own top ten bubble. Lovely song.
I am looking at the export right now, and it is my 7th most played song released in 2021, but its a March song so sometimes these things move around when newer songs are slotted in that haven’t had all year to accrue play count, such as the Oneus song from last week.
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I am 95% sure I listened to “Hush” because you had it on your mid-year list, and it really is lovely.
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Sneakers is really just too good.
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Loved Sneakers and Strawberry Gum so much this year. Very catchy in different ways. This one I cannot remember to save my life. i don’t think I made it through the video. He never delivers anything but the best performance, but the song is so thin.
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