DXMON have already captured attention with their dramatic, anime-style haircuts, reminiscent of early-TVXQ in their sheer ridiculousness. I’m all for “ridiculous” in K-pop, and this image gave me hope that the group would deliver a similarly bombastic, cartoonish sound. Unfortunately, pre-debut track Burn Up is just the latest in shouty boy group slop.
When thinking about 2024 recently, I pined for a return to more melodic songs. Burn Up is emblematic of why this resolution is so needed. Sometimes I feel like I’m standing in the center of an army of boy groups, each shouting louder than the next. At this point, their shout-rap approach has lost all excitement. It’s predictable and annoying. These performers deserve more artistic nuance and range than this puffed-up chest posturing can offer.
Burn Up is an amalgam of its influences, from the pots-and-pans percussion of NCT to the warped vocal effects of ATEEZ. It fails to find anything new in this oeuvre, delivering a tired “burn it up, turn it up” message that rings hollow. I doubt any of these K-pop idols are going to burn anything up. I mean, most can’t even date without breaking their contract! And without any memorable hook to latch on to, Burn Up feels like a copy of a copy, down to its requisite double-time, chant-along climax. I hope they can find more idiosyncratic material for their upcoming debut.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I have a guilty pleasure to those kind of beats ’cause I used them so much while studying on 2023. Emphasis on beat (also, as someone who is kinda returning to kpop this year, this was certainly an start 🗿)
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I’m kind of obsessed with the fact that you use this sound for studying! I don’t even know how that would work, but I love it.
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i like the bass here.
7.5/10 for me
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I actually kind of liked this one.
Based on their teaser photos I wasn’t sure what their sound would lean towards. Yeah its a little too “rap” heavy for me (2 rappers per group is enough) but I enjoyed the few vocal moments. The bridge was really nice and the song was over 3 mintues. I’m looking forward to their actual debut.
Off topic but kind of on topic..Nomad also released a pre-debut track. Its uses the same sample as Aliyah’s more than a women. Its actully pretty decent.
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The tricks are not new, but I’m so glad it was well arranged and not awkward. Plus it’s long and they don’t cut every parts, so this song still feels satisfying to me
Hooks 7
Production 8
Longevity 7
Bias 9
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