Naniwa Danshi released their second album Popmall this week, and it’s being promoted by two contrasting songs. These tracks represent the duality of the group’s music, and can be best described by this well-known meme:

The ebullient Poppin’ Hoppin’ Lovin’ is fun but kind of exhausting. I’m much more drawn to LAI-LA-LA, which feels like a sequel to last year’s brilliant The Answer. This is a specific Johnny’s Entertainment style I’m hopelessly biased towards. Groups like KAT-TUN and Kis-My-Ft2 have quite a few tracks with this aesthetic. But really, every Johnny’s act has at least one of these sleek,  propulsive bangers in their arsenal.

There are a few reasons I love this sound so much. The production feels full and resounding, with plenty of reverb and layering. I think producers call this sound “wet.” From Jam & Lewis all the way up to Sweetune, it’s an approach that’s always appealed to me. The production on LAI-LA-LA‘s vocals sounds great. During parts of the hook, they’re almost choral. But every element of the instrumental has that thumping fullness that that really pulls me in.

Secondly, the melodies have a sense of drama that makes for natural peaks and valleys. The song builds and explodes and coasts when you least expect it. The chorus’s three-part structure makes for a unique progression, and the segue into verse two (which you can’t hear on the edited YouTube version) is particularly satisfying. LAI-LA-LA isn’t quite as effective as The Answer (its climactic power note needs to be bigger, for one), but it’s still one of Naniwa Danshi’s strongest tracks. I hope they don’t fully abandon this promising direction in favor of cutesy fluff.

Grade: A-