I hadn’t listened to any teasers of BamBam’s new single, so I wasn’t sure if I should expect another mid-tempo trap-pop ditty or something a bit more robust. It turns out Sour & Sweet surprised me in a good way by harnessing current synthwave trends to create a propulsive sound that hinges around a very catchy hook.
At two and a half minutes, Sour & Sweet is a wisp of a song with obvious influences. You can easily envision The Kid Laroi’s Stay being played as a guide during its studio sessions. And while the track replicates some of Stay’s charm, it doesn’t come close to delivering the same melodic wallop. Instead, Sour & Sweet chooses one earworm hook and repeats it ad nauseum. Luckily, this chorus is engaging and fun, even if its persistent vocal effects threaten to grate. I have a bias for songs that forge a consistent energy, so Sour & Sweet’s simple, driving beat is right up my alley.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It is very Stay.
I am very much in the “depression” stage of kpop grief.
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I like it. Yes, I enjoyed his new comeback. But again, I didn’t love it. The hook is undeniably catchy, and I can easily imagine myself replaying it 24/7 in my head. Though I’ve been getting exhausted of this 80’s synthwave sound reminiscence. I wanna see something new being brought onto the table!😩😩
Rating-wise, flat 8 for me.
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Oh I do so feel your sentiments. We all begged for something new after too long with dark theme and girl crush. And now we have something new and it is all blah bland chill vibe revival of the dullest parts of old trends.
Music is supposed to grab you by lapels and shout to the rooftops about being alive, the angst woe joy and full fury.
I have been listening to a lot of Jeong Hong Il these weeks, because he is fantastic singer that does all of the above. Also hot and age appropriate for this old lady to oggle. (That last point – really, too many underage debuts these days, I just can’t stan 17 year olds. Then there are all the skeevs stanning the even younger NewJeans girls.)
This is a great song to sing at full volume while driving:
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Thank you for sharing this song with me! I can confirm that it’s wonderful for what it is, and Jeong Hong Il is an insanely talented performer, indeed. On the other side, I doubt I’d press “replay” on this often, as it sounds a bit too adult contemporary to my taste (I’m 16, if you didn’t know that). Still, my gratefulness for what you’ve done cannot be expressed in actual words. Hong Il lifted up my mood a lot, especially considering how sad I feel right now because of the weather outside being just godawful.
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Here I sit proving to myself that I’ll always be a sucker for synthwave. I also hear Stay here. Stay is better, but I do like this quite a bit.
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