Though retro trends still have a vise-grip hold on K-pop, the industry has started embracing punky, guitar-led sounds as well. This is in line with global trends, and may just be “the next big thing.” Whether Mamamoo’s Moonbyul is a soothsayer or not, her newest solo single C.I.T.T (Cheese in the Trap) rides the wave of this burgeoning trend.
Moonbyul’s solo work has been all over the place. Though she originally gained prominence as Mamamoo’s rapper, she’s long since left that limitation behind. From new jack swing to deep house, her music has an unpredictable charm. C.I.T.T’s pop-rock makeover is her most well-fitting genre shift yet, even if the song itself is pretty generic. On the plus side, its boisterous energy captures Moonbyul’s fun personality, allowing her to let loose. She’s at her best when the chorus kicks in and the vocal processing calms down.
I don’t think the verses work quite as well. “Skrrt, skrrts” are never needed, and hearing them after so long brings back bad memories. These segments pass by at a clip, but feel inconsequential. However, I love how the rhythm briefly fractures before we jump into the chorus. It’s a cool transition and brings a jolt of spontaneity. The hook itself is solid if predictable. It gets the job done and nothing more, yet has a nostalgic quality that keeps the song engaging. If anything, C.I.T.T feels like a first step toward stronger material in the future. It’s not going to shake the world, but it’s good, clean K-pop fun.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Honestly, when I saw that name, I thought it would be much worse than this and that it would sound similar to something like a Norazo track. But after listening to the song, I can confirm that I love it really much. Moonbyul does a great job here, and her charisma drives me crazy (in a positive way). Also, this song reminds me of mid-00’s Pink or early Katy Perry. 8.75/10 for me.
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I’ve been pretty confident lately, probably since “Smiley” by Yena, that as synthpop’s long and illustrious reign as /the/ go-to trendy template wanes, the 00s pop punk/early 1D type stuff is going to be it’s replacement. Personally, I welcome it, and I think Kpop groups usually sound good on these types of songs. Girls Generation’s “Flyers” is one of my favorites by them period, for example.
As much as I would criticize Moonbyul for doing every sound under the sun, I like her too much, this one will be going in my playlist, lol.
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Yena’s “Smiley” is the bright song that I love, and that I always forget about until it comes around again on shuffle. It is so well done. Youthful but not young. Sweet but not saccharine.
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I get what you mean about her doing all the sounds and it can be pretty chaotic but at the same time I actually like she isn’t shy about trying anything she wants to. Sometimes is a hit sometimes it’s a miss, but she is always pretty charming about it lol like you said, can’t be mad about it.
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It sounds so much fun! It suits her!😎
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HELP I ACCIDENTALLY READ THIS AS “C.L.I.T” AND I’M SCREAMING 😭😭
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OMG! lol
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Lolz.
And what are your thoughts on Lesser as Fim?
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It’s a fine, solid pop song, if a bit generic.
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I’m just so happy that light, fun and feel-good kpop is coming back. Also I’m a sucker for this kind of pop-rock even if it can be a bit generic. I love it and I love how Moonbyul makes this concept her own, she really pushes it forward.
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it’s straight up US pop rock, but in Korean
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this left me very satisfied actually a solid 9
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My “type” in women is unapologetically tomboyish, but Moonbyul looks fricking adorable here. Especially the coat + fishnets + hairclip. I feel like the outfits are what we might have seen more of if she’d debuted in Red Velvet.
Song… I haven’t decided yet. I’m somewhere between “wouldn’t change the station if it came on” and “I’ll return to this.”
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anyway now that im back from laughing on the floor after my reading mishap, i’ve finally decided to listen to the song. i think it would definitely soundtrack a disney channel show, and i definitely appreciate the pop-rock vibes along with Moonbyul’s performance. its an 8/10 for me
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The title had me worrying a bit that this would sound like that Nicki Minaj song. Thankfully it was entirely different. I love Moonbyul, and I love her doing rock-influenced stuff. (Like why isn’t Hwasa doing that? She most definitely has the pipes for it, and there are vids of her slaying Queen and Bon Jovi!) The verses are silly as hell, the whole thing is silly as hell but I think that’s part of the charm for me. Would’ve wanted the guitars and percussion to have a bit more bite, and a bit less Auto-tune on her voice, but this is otherwise nice.
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it’s a 9 for me, pretty solid! and I’m pleasantly surprised that she was able to pull off this kind of song, I never imagined her singing something with this kind of energy and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
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this is exactly in the same vein as yena’s smiley, and I mean that not in a good or bad way.
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As others have said, it reminded me of “Smiley’ so much that I checked the writers/composers of each song to see if they are the same. They are not, but I’m not complaining. Love the song and love her.
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