After their debut in 2018, D-Crunch have reliably delivered one comeback per year. No more, no less. This makes it challenging to gain a foothold or a fanbase, but I admire their consistency. Their title tracks have all been solid, though none has enjoyed a long reign on my own playlist. New song Addiction (중독) joins their ranks – pleasant enough within the limited scope of its imagination.
I think the songwriting behind Addiction is quite weak. No melody or hook hits very hard, and its general construction plays like a modern K-pop template. Fortunately, the arrangement elevates the material. You could comfortably slot this next to other “noise-pop” offerings of late, but the instrumental never feels overstuffed. The producers leave room for each piece to shine, conjuring a decent groove and letting bombastic vocal flourishes drive the track forward. I love the exclamatory performance during the pre-chorus, even if it’s tethered to a “been there, done that” percussive build.
Addiction’s chorus feels ripped from the EXO school of performance, attempting a hulking, towering sound. It’s not too dissimilar from 2016’s Monster in this way. But, the hooks just aren’t there. This really holds the song back. We’re left with a perfectly solid example of boy group bluster, joining a pool of similarly-minded tracks. Unfortunately for D-Crunch, there are more tantalizing choices within this ubiquitous soundscape. That’s the risk you run when opting for a style this popular. When it comes to lesser-known idol groups, I think it’s much better to swing for the rafters and hope your unique perspective will connect with the right people.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
All hope was lost for these guys when their group was named D-crunch.
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I like the song though, It’s a bit generic but I think for what it does, it does very well.
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Haha I stan a group called Kis-My-Ft2 so I have no room to talk!
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Every morning in the office, I play the first play of the day’s releases on the computer speakers as I made coffee. From across the room, I also thought this sounds like a lesser EXO song. Its like a song SM declined from a few years ago, got passed around, landed on DCrunch
I think its the vocal arrangement. For example, in the chorus, there is a clear lead vocal on top of the dense extended chords. Crucially, those chords are made up of several distinctive voices each on their own note, mostly sung, some added with a vocoder effect, and then massaged to blend together in a gorgeous vocal wash. Maintain this tension for a couple bars, then drop to a clearer single voice on the third line or so. “Monster” chorus is very much like this.
I think the DCrunch boys do a good job delivering this, because imitating EXO vocal line is not easy to do. But they are let down by the songcraft – a decade ago this sound might have been more novel, but hearing it today it sounds constructed by the book.
BTW Thebiaslist does have a handy short list of bad names untaken, such as ABC247 or V.lanc or SP_ACE or 5IVE Teen. (Courtesy of WackoAZMT) My favorite real names – I saw “Car, the Garden” pop up again recently and I thought hey Toad the Wet Sprocket! Also “Drug Restaurant”.
Hah, V,lance. It is pronounced Violance of course, but the transliteration is something like Bee-lan-shee.
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Car Seat Headrest is my personal favorite.
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“When it comes to lesser-known idol groups, I think it’s much better to swing for the rafters and hope your unique perspective will connect with the right people.”
I take Ggost9 to be the perfect example for that last claim. I can’t shake their Triangle of my mind, it feels “bold” in a way that more b-sides could feel.
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Yes. I have a long list of small groups that have charmed me by doing something bold and different. But more importantly, darling daughter has a whole host of small groups that have charmed her. I know, I follow the ipod playcount.
At the top of her list: Oneus “Luna”. She clearly puts it on repeat, because the playcount is multiples above everything else. P1Harmony “Siren” is next, then in some order MONT, Dongkiz, Imfact “Lalida”, and also Ghost9 especially “Starvoy”.
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Your daughter has some great musical taste, so many gems in this list!
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Agreed on Ghost9 – I think Blitzers have been doing a good job of this as well with the heavier rock sound.
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Very pleasant song. It was more enjoyable that most shouty boy group tracks, but the hooks come and go. I know I didn’t hate them, but I have trouble recalling them afterwards
*I low-key thought D-crunch disbanded back in like 2014……when they didn’t even debut at that time…..I don’t know what’s wrong with me either*
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To this day the only D-Crunch song I can really name off the top of my head is Stealer. Didn’t even realize they’ve had any comebacks since… then. I mean, okay, I remember the one after Stealer was pretty bad, and since then I just lost track of them. The infrequent comeback schedule doesn’t help them.
Stealer is pretty good, though. It’s admittedly a Block B retread, but that’s a sound I can get behind.
This one isn’t too bad though. I don’t know how long my enjoyment of it will last (I’ve heard this sound done better by, for example, SM boy groups), but it doesn’t piss me off at the very least.
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Last year’s ‘My Name’ ended up on most played. That said, I like the dense chords on this one. Very exo-esque.
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I’ve got a lot to catch up on so maybe I’m being picky, but I’m not hearing much here that I feel the need to listen to again. B-side “Challenge” has a couple of above average rap verse but the vocals and production are somehow both too much and not enough. Sorry guys, I’m gonna pass. Good job on that a capella rap though.
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