TAN have done a nice job mining the sounds of second-gen K-pop to craft an appealing discography, most notably with debut single Du Du Du. That song (and others) gave me strong Beast flavor, but new single Heartbeat echoes classic SHINee. Or to be more specific, it feels like NCT’s 2019 version of 2013-era SHINee, borrowing many structural elements from that year’s Superhuman.
Pop music is a game of pillaging from the past, and TAN’s influences happen to be touchstones that greatly appeal to me. The moment I heard Heartbeat‘s glitchy electro beat, I knew I was in for a treat. And the fact the group has legendary producer Shinsadong Tiger behind them means they’ve gone straight to the source of second-gen goodness.
Heartbeat isn’t perfect. I’m curious to hear how it might sound if they flipped the two segments of the chorus in opposite directions (that extended beat drop is a bit… too extended). But when the song hits, it punches with addictive force. The vocal performance is strong and confident all the way through, culminating in a thrilling finale where the guys really belt it out. And although the second verse can’t resist the urge to switch up tempo, it does so in a way that’s in keeping with the production’s complex electronic assault.
Had Heartbeat actually been released during the golden age of second or third gen K-pop, I probably wouldn’t have given it much attention. But in our current K-pop climate, I’m more than willing to boost its rating a few notches.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I love it. So bouncy yet crunchy.
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four 9 rated songs and we’re not even halfway through august! 😀 plus plenty of 8.5s and 8.75s. 2023 is hitting its stride
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I am in love with the instrumental here
9.5/10 for me (9, 10, 9, 10)
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honestly i would rate this higher than nine.i because the vocal processing here is soooo much better although the production is equally as awe-inspiring. it is really not THAT hard to release a decent boy group song like tan and nine.i did but kpop companies keep lowering the bar for themselves and grasping the song demos at the bottom of the trash can
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Those synths. Wow. Woooooooooooooooow.
I’ve been waiting for a song in this type of glitchy complextro music for so long now, since Mirae’s Killa back in early 2021, and this one did NOT disappoint.
9.25 from me. Zero nitpicks. Perfect song. Wow. Will be playing this on repeat until I get sick of it. Wow.
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Arms 👀
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TAN, Nine.i, n.SSign and Xodiac are my super rookies this past year🤩.
“Heartbeat” is a awesome. They sound and look great. The album is very nice too. 9/10
PS: The only beef I have with them is they had the audacity of announcing a “US tour” that included only three cities…Atlanta, Sacramento and Fresno, what?!??. That’s almost as offensive as Ikon choosing a Brooklyn venue for their NYC concert, almost🙃
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Some of mine, too!
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I forgot AIMERS…love love love them.
As a side note, not many people are paying attention to either of these groups anyway, so I can only hope they keep going and have a breakthrough song eventually🤞🏻🤞🏻
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A kindler, softer, melodic version of NCT’s “Superhuman”. I’ll take them both.
Yeah, TAN on a roll!
These guys are all older than the typical “new” boy group, and it shows in how comfortable they are performing.
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I love TAN, and have since their debut. I also love that all of them except one had already debuted which means they’re comfortable with their vocals and stage performances. As other said, it definitely reminds me a little of “superhuman” but it’s still an amazing song.
TAN was my favorite debut last year and I’ve really enjoyed all of their title tracks. I’m hoping they can remain a permanent group, they balance each other out amazingly.
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In a short time, TAN has pretty much cemented themselves as one of my favorite BGs of the 4th gen. Every release has topped the last, and I so want them to become a real group.
Heartbeat definitely has that classic Shinee swing that I’ve been missing in the Hard era. Which makes it all the more surprising that TAN, EXO, and NCT Dream have filled that gap for me this year.
Violet is something special though. Still can’t tell if I like it better than Heartbeat they are neck and neck rn. In a perfect world where they had more funding, they could promote both.
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The promotion roll kinda shaken my head but I’m glad they have stage prop set for The Show, and it looked so good too.
Manifesting bside promotion on The Show/Show Champion/Simply Kpop!
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Seriously, I was so confused. I saw the MV and listened to the mini album the day it dropped and the recommended videos on YT showed that they’d been promoting for a week already!
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they’re like mirae if mirae actually kept their futuristic concept and sound
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IKR?
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I love this!! Man, it makes me so sad to think TAN was coming to Uruguay around this time of the year and the concert got canceled for some unknown reason…
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It’s really good but my mind can’t help to compare it with Superhuman ( that I qualify a 10/10. ) Maybe a 8.5 for me, I need to detache this song from it and find it individuality. But it’s indeed a great track, it will probably rise to 9 the more I’ll listen.
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