Review

Song Review: Suzy – R.U.N (“R U Next?” theme song)

Suzy - R.U.N (R U Next)I’m doing mental somersaults to determine the connection between Suzy and HYBE’s upcoming series R U Next. I thought maybe she was the host or a mentor, but a quick Google search reveals nothing. I guess IU performed I-LAND‘s theme track without being part of the actual series, so there’s a precedent for super popular idol singers lending their voice to HYBE’s ever-expanding universe.

I don’t plan to watch R U Next and I wish HYBE would ease up on new debuts under their many subsidiaries, but R.U.N is enjoyable on its own. It has an ethereal tone we don’t often hear in this style of song and feels well-suited to Suzy’s voice. The synths are a little quirky and the chorused vocal arrangement furthers the track’s hazy approach. A gentle — almost trip-hop — beat gives R.U.N a sense of brisk movement as its melodies soften the journey. Refreshingly, the song sounds very little like anything else on the market. Hopefully the group that debuts from this project will follow suit.

Hooks 8
 Production 8
 Longevity 9
 Bias 8
 RATING 8.25

Grade: B

12 thoughts on “Song Review: Suzy – R.U.N (“R U Next?” theme song)

  1. What I really want to know is if Hybe is going to have the young contestants sing this song like they had the future Enhypen sing the IU song which was a disaster. Unless they hybe the vocals, in which case the contrast between Suzy and the girls would be even more immense.

    A few bars of the chorus bear a passing resemblance to “Power Up”, eeeyeah eeyeah.

    For the kids here, who might not be familiar with Suzy, here is a younger Suzy with my (younger) hot honey Kim Soo Hyun.

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  2. Hybe needs to stop debuting so many groups. I know it fancies itself to be a Universal Music/ Sony Music type of an overlord but South Korean music scene is saturated enough as it is. Having a “Big 4” debut so many groups just leads its other groups to lose that fresh flavour that kpop tends to favor (I don’t know how this turned out to rhyme).

    The song is pleasant and nice but no new groups please!!

    Liked by 5 people

    • Agreed, to be honest. It was jarring having Newjeans and Le Serrafim debut so closely to one another despite being under the same company. I’m definitely not ready for another Hybe girl group.

      When X1 disbanded, I breathed a sigh of relief because it’d give a chance for other, equally talented and deserving boy groups who debuted a chance to shine without the overcast shadow of X1 diverting all the attention. (Think Stray Kids, ATEEZ, Treasure, The Boyz). Without the presence of a rookie “super group”, other groups were able to thrive.

      Ive, Newjeans, and Le Serrafim is like having 3 X1s all at once. I can do without another. I’d like people to pay attention to groups from smaller companies who could use the support.

      Liked by 1 person

      • You knocked the problem I’ve been thinking of straight on its head! This may be me being paranoid but K-pop has gotten pretty centralised during recent years. That isn’t to say the Big 3 had little power, but during the 2010’s there were always chances for groups from small companies at the time to hit it big (examples coming to mind are infinite, teen top, t-ara I think, vixx). With the formation of Hybe, the company has really decided to suck up the space for smaller groups. There are now less chances of groups to be in the spotlight, and I’d argue less time for them (Ateez has obviously made it but I’m thinking of how StayC has lost a bit international favour). The continuation of Hybe debuts is just going to worsen the problem me thinks

        Liked by 2 people

      • Hybe is a multilabel corporation. All labels under hybe work independently and make their own decisions about when they debute groups. All of these groups have been planned for a long time. The pandemic messed up their debute schedule.

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  3. Hybe is a multilabel corporation. All labels under hybe work independently and makes their own decisions about debuting groups .
    Pledis entertainment has not debute a group since 2015.
    Ador ,koz entertainment and hybe Japan debute their first groups. Bighit has not debute a group since 2019. And be lift lab is a joint venture label with cnjm and they have not debute a group since 2020 . Alot of these group have been planned before they came under hybe. And some have been planned since it became hybe.

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