Review

Song Review: CRAVITY – Love Or Die

CRAVITY - Love Or DieSomeone needs to study how CRAVITY went from the likes of My Turn and Flame to one of the most consistent runs of any current boy group. It’s a big turnaround and a testament to what can happen when an agency invests in great songs. New single Love Or Die continues and expands upon this streak, giving the guys an anthemic rock centerpiece.

When it comes to pop music, I’m really quite simple. I don’t need anything too fancy as long as a song leverages the most basic tenets of a great banger. I tend to love when music kicks off at full energy and never lets up. Love Or Die has this driving intensity, resisting the urge to build slowly through emotive (but time-killing) verses. Instead, the instrumental bursts out full throttle from the very first second. With a sub 3-minute running time, there’s no space to waste. Love Or Die is taut and focused, sweeping the listener off their feet and never letting go.

The song’s rock-infused instrumental reminds me of Golden Child’s excellent Feel Me from last year. CRAVITY’s vocals aren’t as distinct and there’s some tinny percussion throughout the track that should have been switched for something more robust, but the sense of release is very similar. And even at such a short running time, the track feels complete. The arrangement minimizes empty space, which allows Love Or Die to sneak in a bridge and several rap verses. All that’s missing is a beefed up climax.

Hooks 9
 Production 9
 Longevity 9
 Bias 9
 RATING 9

Grade: A-

20 thoughts on “Song Review: CRAVITY – Love Or Die

  1. the vocals are really muted in this song and yes that percussion is a bit too prominent. But high ratings seem to be a thing simply because we haven’t been getting too much great songs lately (I’m guilty of this too)

    7.5/10 – easy listen, sounds alright, but too forgettable

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  2. Eh.. sounds like they’re all singing in the same tone or note or whatever. One person could’ve sung the song alone and it wouldnt make a difference. Like another commenter said: the vocals are muted.

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  3. I really like it and the album is fun. I think there was reference somewhere to Cravity going to Starship and asking for less shouty material because they didn’t want to be MX II. Glad they listened.

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  4. Cravity is back! I was worried after Ready or Not but this is much better, and also one of the better recent rock-influenced Kpop songs, I think. There’s really only one musical idea/pace/tone here but because of the song length, it works for me. I’m probably additionally biased because the title makes me think of the excellent Glen Check rock remix of Love or Die by TNX (a different, grungier rock).

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  5. I like it, but not Rating 9 like it.

    For me, it sounds too close to &Team “Firework” from June 2023. I could mentally swap the choruses and hardly know it, except for the line ending words is “Firework” in one and “Love or Die” in the other.

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  6. i feel like we were greatly lacking a strong woobin high note. love the song though! i did prefer the punchy vocals of ready or not, but this one’s a solid comeback!!

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  7. This is one of their strongest singles yet. Maybe their best, we’ll see how it grows.

    I think it’s missing a dramatic bridge (I second the person above me, we defs need a Woobin high note). Other than that, this just steamrolls over everything that gets in it’s way.

    The whole album is great too: Fingers crossed for a Buried Treasure!

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  8. Their decision to close the song with allen’s rap is actually great. I love hearing songs that ends with a bang like that and in fact it is one of Cravity’s best dong outros so far.

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  9. Long time reader here (five years?), and also commenting for the first time. I totally see the Feel Me comparison – I also think it sounds similar to Rock with You. Honestly, I clicked on the MV not expecting too much, but as soon as it started with that propulsive sound, I knew it would be a gem. 9.25 for me, I’m a sucker for pop rock, but I wish their vocals had more character, too.

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