Lapone Entertaiment’s ‘J-pop that’s basically K-pop’ groups tend to release music that falls into several established archetypes. Of these archetypes, my favorite by far is the propulsive disco-funk-dance hybrid that characterized JO1’s epic Born To Be Wild.

DXTEEN’s First Flight can’t touch that instant JO1 classic, but its glossy sound and surging chorus make for an undeniable highlight. The group’s debut was a nice bit of frothy pop, but First Flight kicks things up a notch. Its verses are pretty standard and could do with a change in tempo and more engaging melodies. But once we veer into the explosive chorus, there’s no looking back.

I love when songs open up like this. If our feet have been jogging up to this point, First Flight‘s chorus represents the moment they leave the ground and our body lifts into the air. In this way, I guess the song is well-named! I love the sound of the vocals here, especially as we climb into the second half of the hook. They’re smooth but not faceless, pushed along by effusive synths. It all builds toward an explosive finale that sends the song out on a high. I’m waffling between a high eight and a low nine on this one, mostly dependent on which part of the track I focus on. I’ll play it safe for now, but I can see this rising. It’s really good.

Grade: B+