Find a seat and take a deep breath for this one. “Acid Angel from Asia” is a pre-debut sub-unit from the upcoming 24-member girl group tripleS that combines the worlds of NFT and K-pop. These four members were voted to be part of the unit via something called “Grand Gravity,” and tripleS will soon spawn another unit named “+(KR)ystal Eyes.” This all sounds like some convoluted anime set-up, but it’s the brainchild of the always-evocative Jaden Jeong — well-known for his creative direction with LOONA and OnlyOneOf. As usual, the most important aspect of this new venture is the music itself (at least where I’m concerned!) and I’m happy to report that Generation is quite good.
Generation is the latest in a new trend of chic girl group sounds. In my mind, NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM have become the poster children for this wave, and I’m happy to see it spread further into the idol industry. A song like this eschews many expected K-pop tropes for something sleeker and effortlessly cool. I hear this in the instrumental, which is understated but never boring. More importantly, I hear it in the performance style. The girls sing in a comfortable register, gliding on the melody rather than peaking in constant exclamatory bursts. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I’m much more inclined to play a track of this style than many of the post-ITZY chant-fests we’ve heard over the past few years.
Because of this approach, Generation‘s hooks are relatively subdued. A catchy “la la la” opens the track and carries through, but never draws much attention to itself. Again, it’s effortlessly cool. The verses are solid if nondescript, yet manage to compel attention through their stylish force. And by tying that “la la” hook to a more robust melody, the chorus delivers a worthy centerpiece without going over the top. It all adds up to a song that should enjoy great longevity. It’s definitely not as “out there” as Acid Angels from Asia’s name or concept might suggest, but I’m here for this new K-pop cool and I could see this becoming a huge grower.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Happy to say, I vibe very much this song. Very groovy like Birthday and Tick Tick Boom, nice to see this trend kicking off. Maybe the fans will vote for a lo-fi track next?
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Need that album immediately. Where the hell is it, man?
Great song. I l don’t mind the NewJeans comparisons for now, considering the concept is quite unoriginal as it is just a revival of Y2K. But I hope people understand it literally can’t be plagiarism
Looking forward to the album dropping officially, a lot of good names in the credits and the highlight medley sounded lovely.
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Here’s a hot take: this song is the better version of Attention
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Are we calling this emerging sound of kpop good because of what it is not or because of what it is? For mean, I mean it is nice, commercial and radio-friendly, but it hardly something I get excited about. It sounds like something to hear over the air at Target or a supermarket. The kind of song that is so bland it primary existence is to be friendly and pleasant and pleasing with no particular point of view or purpose except to make money.
Also, I could not help but interject “… it goes around the world just la la la …”
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Haha at this point I feel like I’m enjoying a lot of K-pop songs for what they’re not! I’m not sure what that says about me or the industry at large…
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The more songs you listen to over the years, the more jaded you will become. At this point if it’s different then it’s already ahead of the pack, irregardless of quality.
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I don’t mind some quality mortar until a few solid gold bricks come my way.
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Kinda wished for this to be a flop because I find the concept 100% terrible, but it’s actually pretty good.
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That MV! …New’er Jeans? ..Attention.. ..Generation.. I mean, both songs share similar video styles and song structure. ..cross pollination? ..kissing cousins?
Okay, to be fair, this song stands on its own merits and I enjoyed it. There’s not enough meat on its bones to completely sate me in one plating, but it wasn’t unpalatable. Its a good filler piece; a snack, if you will.
I’ll be keeping a future eye out for them.
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One of the girls from this unit is BIBI’s sister.
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Cool!
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I’ve been a fan of BIBI for 2 years and I didn’t even know she had a sister?!??!!?!? That’s so cool. I thought she was an only child
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I hope this group gets big. I was always looking forward to a girl group similar to Nct’s size concept
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Me too. I’ve always wondered what a female NCT sized group would look like. I’ve been a fan for 3 years and I still can’t remember 60% of their names but the music is fire so I hope the same happens here
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Know this isn’t relevant but did you hear that Ravn LEFT ONEUS?
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Yep. Sucks for the group and fans, for sure. Plus, voluntarily leaving feels like an admission of guilt even if it’s not.
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One of the members, Kim Yooyeon, was a contestant on My Teenage Girl. On the show she was portrayed as a dozen (a pretty person who can’t sing or dance) so I’m proud of her for improving so much. Some other girls from that show will debut in tripleS as well so I’m happy they’re finally achieving their dreams.
As for the song, it’s groovy and I like it. Similar to LESSERAFIM’s debut it’s simple but honestly less is more sometimes
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not the dozen i’m crying
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She’s also the girl in the mv thumbnail 😉
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This song deserves to see the light of melon chart. Rating is about right
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Whatever this is reminding me of, it’s a memory just out of reach. I keep thinking of that British show Skins for some unknown reason. I feel nostalgia even though my youth contained nothing that sounded like this.
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