I have only a passing familiarity with Tokyo Gegegay (mostly through their collaborations), which caused me to miss the video for Break The Romance (破壊ロマンス) when it was released two weeks ago. But with a new album out this week, I dove into this single and won’t be looking back.

I love when a song totally bowls me over from the first listen. It doesn’t happen often anymore, which only makes the sensation more thrilling. Some of this initial reaction has to do with a lack of expectations, but more and more I’m searching for music with its own point of view. Break The Romance is certainly idiosyncratic, but its major appeal points have roots in key touchstones that have developed my taste in pop music.

For one, the oddball song structure and explosive arrangement remind me of the ballsy, futuristic sounds SM Entertainment used to  bestow upon their artists during the first two decades of the agency’s history. There’s a ton of classic SHINee (and specifically, Taemin) in this groove. But going back even further, Break The Romance‘s sledgehammer, industrial percussion feels like a close relative to Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation — which happens to be my favorite album of all time. So yeah, I’m predisposed to liking this.

Even with that bias aside, Break The Romance is a showstopper Just listen to that herky-jerky melody in the chorus — sharp and combative without simply resorting to shouts or chants. Then, stay for the searing guitar solo that pulls the track to its finale. There’s nothing muted or subdued about this. Tokyo Gegegay have laid it all on the line, and that sense of effort and ambition is very appealing.

Grade: A