Review

Song Review: ITZY – Untouchable

ITZY - UntouchableITZY have released so many teasers and pre-releases leading up to their second full length album that you could be forgiven for thinking the project had already been unveiled! I didn’t connect with either of their pre-release tracks, though the confrontational energy of Born To Be fit them well. Fortunately, they saved the best for last with title track Untouchable.

With member Lia absent, ITZY have focused less on big vocal moments. Ironically, this results in their strongest title track in years. Untouchable is all braggadocios bombast, but tethered to a big EDM beat and performed in a range that feels comfortable and well-suited to the remaining members. They were smart to layer the vocals for many parts of the song, complimenting the power of the arrangement. There’s still a bit too much sing-talk for my liking, but it works better here because the entire track has a rhythmic focus. I love the distorted slabs of electronics and guitar that forge Untouchable‘s mechanized stomp. It’s groovy without becoming yet another limp anti-drop and the texture has a very satisfying crunch.

Given the song’s many chant-along hooks, I’m unsure how Untouchable will play in the long run. I can imagine tiring of it quickly, but that thumping production should remain addictive for some time. This is also very much a performance piece, relying on the intensity of ITZY’s delivery. That’s one of their biggest assets, so it’s nice to hear a track that takes advantage of it.

Hooks 8
 Production 9
 Longevity 8
 Bias 9
 RATING 8.5

Grade: B

35 thoughts on “Song Review: ITZY – Untouchable

  1. this is what their sound should’ve evolved into in the first place. LOCO was their last good title track for me, and finally we have something worth listening to again.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. This is some lukewarm garbage.
    Cake was a step in the right direction but this is just bad.

    Viviz – Untie has the same vibe but is lightyears ahead in terms of quality.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. This is the song ITZY needed. The only problem I see is that ITZY is putting out so many prereleases that it makes them all blend together. Unless someone is a fan of Midzy or a pretty devoted K-Pop listener, people tend to stop listening to everything that it is dropped in a blitzkrieg like this. They might check out the first one and title track, but not everything in between, especially if they weren’t hooked or excited by the first release. While I know fans enjoy the quantity of material released, if you are trying to get back into the good graces of the general public, quality over quantity is more important. Dropping a solitary good song before a comeback can be much more impactful than dumping a ton of what is obviously B-side material. Just my two cents.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. I think this is their best Korean title track in a while! The chorus gives me “Why so serious” vibes but overall the song holds together better than Cheshire. I especially like Yuna’s rap over the vocals in the prechorus. This really gives me hope for them.

    Liked by 3 people

  5. Easily the best promoted track out of the three they’ve put out this comeback! I was so glad they saved the best for the title track.

    Also, is it me or JYP girl groups have been on a roll today?! Like, we got NMIXX’s “Run for Roses” and now ITZY’s title track. I hope they keep it up this year.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Yeah I really like this a lot! There’s just a great spirit to it but I also felt that with songs like Bet On Me, None Of My Business and especially Bratty, which I love a lot. I also really enjoy every solo song. I think my favorite is Ryujin’s but every song is strong. Great stuff.

    Bam bam bam ba ri 🙂

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  7. I have long said that groups’ music gets better after the main vocalist is absent. See: EXID Solji Hiatus (They had a great run during hiatus and after) and AOA post-ChoA (seriously, the New Moon album is great. Magic Spell foreverrrr), even GFRIEND after Yuju (Sunrise is one of the best songs of the decade and we don’t talk about Fever. Although I suppose technically that hiatus doesn’t count since they didn’t release anything during it).
    I think everyone tries a little more and the music gets more interesting to compensate for the lack of a power vocalist.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Welp, ITZY is officially back. Nothing more to say.
    The solo songs are shining in this album, I loved Lia’s Blossom the most. Also, has anyone listened to Escalator??? That track is a straight up club banger. Its probably the hardest hitting song in their discography.

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  9. I’m a bit torn on this. It’s a great song but I can’t say I love it. Maybe it’s just too similar in style to their old tracks but in a way that it doesn’t catch my attention anymore. It’s a bit boring. But I still respect the girls for trying to make it work. Objectively an 8 but personally in can’t rank it higher than a 7. it’s simply not on trend

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  10. i’ve been so frustrated with their releases lately, so i was so pleasantly surprised with how much i loved this song. the last release i really enjoyed was not shy so it’s been a while since itzy really excited me.

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  11. I’m a big ITZY fan, but this might be the first song in a while that has made me actually excited about them, like it’s actually good.

    Like

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