Though Nature aren’t yet well-known to the general public, they’ve amassed a solid discography that hasn’t been afraid to experiment with new sounds. We haven’t heard from them since June of 2020 – a lifetime when it comes to K-pop groups. But, they’re finally back with the boisterous Rica Rica.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of this track, but I give it credit for throwing everything it can at the listener. My favorite Nature tracks are a little bonkers (Oopsie (My Bad)), so Rica Rica’s noisiness isn’t unwelcome. But, the song is too unfocused to land many punches. There are parts I enjoy – mainly the crazy energy of its chorus. However, the verses are a mess. The percussion and sampled chants make for an interesting soundscape. I wish Rica Rica leaned into this one element instead of throwing a million other ideas over the top. The pre-chorus is pitched way too high, and the second verse switch-up doesn’t work at all.
On the plus side, I love the effusive instrumental break that follows the chorus and then re-forms for an equally brazen bridge and outro. The production here feels large and confident, giving Rica Rica a stadium-ready energy that would benefit from live performances. More of this, please, Nature! But as it stands, the track is too piecemeal to hang together, enjoyable in spurts but also exhausting. It’s worth getting through to reach those good parts, but I can’t see myself returning to it often.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I like Nature, I loved Oopise and I’m So Pretty. But I couldn’t finish this song. There was nothing to grip onto to keep my focus.
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I’m in awe of just how many elements they managed to fit into this song. Wow.
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Haha it is impressive!
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I don’t know what to think of this song either.
(SOME – You’ll be mine is my go to Nature song, followed by OOPSIE – My Bad)
Its all a bit distracting too, and not in a good way. For me, its notsomuch the grab bag of samples from various global sources, its the dance. I get what they are going for, but even with decent camera work the fast hop dance in the chorus looks horrible. I don’t see any music shows up yet, so we shall see what the gurus of camera work at the music shows do with the footwork. I suspect fast zooms and tilted swooshes will be involved.
I hope it all turns ok for these girls. I heard on other sites that they are not printing a physical copy of the album until enough stans sign up for it on makerspace. That is not a good sign.
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I wanted more footwork from the footwork! Cute footwork to that huge beat is such a fun idea. I wish they’d stolen from Step by Step by New Kids on the Block. Or just did the shuffle, the mashed potato, something!
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NKOTB was my younger sister’s group. She knows all those moves, as she taped stuff off MTV onto a VHS, patiently waiting right by the TV to hit the record button.
There are still no music shows on youtube for this song here yet, two days on.
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I usually watch MVs first but listened to PENTAGON’s new EP before watching the MV because I’ve disliked 2 of their last 3 MVs and didn’t want it to impact my feelings on the song. I think I should have done the same for this one, because while there were parts of the dance that worked, that chorus was distractingly … distracting? At this point I’ve seen enough MVs done on a budget to know that there is a lot that can be done if you’ve got someone creative at the wheel, but it appears that no one here was up for trying?
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The dance is the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages – the footwork alone is great, but their earnestness pushes it over the top!
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In an alternate universe, this song will unite all people under a missive of compassion. World peace will replace world hunger. People from all races, nationalities, castes, and ideologies will recognize one another as equals. The pursuit of benefit will be replaced with beneficence. Societies will, for the first time in the existence of humanity, unify with a hope for prosperity. Heralding this transition, this song will be the anthem that powers the gears of change. I believe this to be true! So, too, should you!
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Haven’t heard the song yet BUT i will say while Oopsie My Bad is good…Girls is easily the best Nature song.
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Honestly, I feel the same way about the verses especially the rap verse, but overall, this is camp and i’m here for it.
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Same, the campiness is what I enjoy from the girls’ performance.
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I don’t like this. At all.
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It’s different! I could definitely hear the chorus sounding great blasting in the car! I have absolutely no idea how many stars to give it – somewhere between two and four, I guess? It’s been a little while since I saw a comeback from a group I wasn’t familiar with so I’ll check out the various other tracks mentions. B-Side “Dear Leaf” sounds like a fan song so I hope the fans enjoy it after such a long wait.
Side note: I was gushing to my spouse about Billlie and joked about how adding a third “l” made them much more Google-able. This group could definitely do with an extra “T” or “U” in their name, is all I’m saying.
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Girls was great but they followed up with this?!
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this song is a disappointment. they not only appropriated one but three different cultures.
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why tf is this song so addicting help 😭😭
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