There’s a long history of K-pop groups debuting in Japan, but the opposite rarely happens. I expect this to change as a new generation of Japanese groups formed and managed by Korean companies make their mark on the industry. NiziU are a JYP act and have been doing quite well for themselves in Japan and abroad. It only makes sense for them to release music in Korea next.
Sadly, HEARTRIS has nothing new to bring to the K-pop conversation. If you enjoy bubbly, sing-talk girl group fare this is another track to add to the pile. I suppose its ebullience is refreshing now that many of their peers are lodged in this cool, understated trend. And, HEARTRIS‘s instrumental casts a few sparks when it’s not busy segueing into slower interludes. The splashy production underlining the chorus is quite addictive, accented with rhythm guitar and synth brass. I would have loved to hear this energy sustain throughout the entire track.
HEARTRIS‘s Achilles heel is a symptom of K-pop as a whole. There’s simply way too much sing-talk and sing-chant. The girls talk their way through most of the song, albeit with a vaguely melodic approach. It’s not rhythmic enough to have the appeal of rap, but misses the fun singalong charm that buoyed so many “cute” girl group singles of the past. Apart from the occasional blast of upbeat energy, there’s just not enough to grab hold of here.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
At this point, the way this style gets churned out, songs like this may as well be written by AI.
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There’s something lightly Twice-esque here and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. They’ve been slowly maturing and for them this is a more restrained but bright song. I think it’s fun and cute but can also understand why it might not do anything for you.
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Eh. I don’t know how judge this. Too chaotic for my liking and I felt they tried to hide their voices behind the music throughout the track. 4,5/10. The 0,5 is for the anime aesthetic in the MV.
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Oh wow, I’m loving this song it’s like they’re bringing back 2018, and I’m here for it! Cute and being full of energy in girl group music has been kind of missing lately, with the trend leaning toward more subdued stuff. So, I’m pretty stoked that NiziU brought this kind of sound for their Korean debut. I’d give it a solid 8.75 out of 10!
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I’d rate the hooks an 8. Between the instrumental that opens and closes the song (I wish we’d gotten more of it) and that post chorus “I’m coming down” chant, I think they’ve got some solid hooks here. Sad that JYP co-wrote the lyrics but he didn’t write a killer rap for Rima and Mayuka. Still, this one’s fun, and I look forward to the full choreo.
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