New girl group Unicode is unique in that all its members are Japanese. I’m not sure how that’s going to serve them in an industry that feels quite insular, but their agency has been smart to give them a quintessentially Korean sound for debut single Let Me Love (돌아봐줄래). Most pertinent to my interests, the song was composed and produced by B1A4’s Jinyoung — one of my favorite idol composers who’s been pretty inactive in the idol scene since leaving his group.
Let Me Love has a sweet, melodic sound that hearkens back to standout acts like GFriend and Lovelyz. Sadly, it doesn’t come close to touching the peaks of those discographies, but I’m heartened to hear this style back in K-pop. If I were to compare Let Me Love‘s energy to a specific K-pop track of years past, it would actually be Apink’s 2014 hit Luv. The two share a New Jack Swing inflected mid-tempo groove. It’s engaging, but never effusive.
It’s hard to get a read on Unicode’s presence as vocalists, as the track doesn’t demand much from them. Its greatest asset is melody — particularly during the chorus. The structure here isn’t bombastic, but its gentle turns create a few catchy moments that hug the listener in a way that feels quite comforting. Beautiful synth textures accentuate this melody and add refreshing texture to the instrumental. If nothing else, Let Me Love makes for a strong jumping off point. It’s not quite there yet, but I love the influences it’s drawing from.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I remember liking this sound when I was younger, especially through Apink, and early G-Friend/SNSD songs. I think the sound hasn’t aged well in my ears lol. I think I won’t listen to this again, it screams dated lol.
Unless a miracle happens (maybe an S-Tier group bringing this sound back and scoring a hit) I don’t think this type of sound will trend back anytime sound. It might find its niche somewhere though!
Cute song but I don’t think I’ll ever look for it again.
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Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
Yeah, I have nothing to add other than I wish them the best of luck. Debuting with an old sound with old styling, it just sounds so 2015. Also, I myself don’t care what country they are from, but all Japanese in Kpop territory is probably a hard sell to the Korean Kpop fans.
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I welcome variety!
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Song is fine. I like this genre a lot, but I do wish this were a little more dynamic.
The weirdest thing is how much it sounds like “Rough” if you listen between the lines.
I think, in addition to the lack of dynamism (waaaay too slow) it suffers a lot from what LOONA and post-LOONA groups, as well as Busters’s excellent “Broken Clock”, suffer from: poor mixing makes the vocals flat and dry.
Please, spend a little more on production.
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As much as I want this sound back, I want great vocalists to be delivering it. The girls don’t sound awful but Im doubtful of them having the skills to wring the most out of whatever material they’re given
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I actually find this song quite pleasant even it’s on loop. It is soft and refreshing enough for a spring day. It is also interesting to know YouTube rendering is so bad these days that 50% of the details of the music is actually gone…Try lossless with a good pair of earphones or headphones, and I am sure you will hear the difference…
The choice of city pop as a debut title song is so interesting, but it also relates a bit to their Japanese roots. The fact this song does not have one single word in English in the lyrics just makes sense. I can see this song as the ending song of a Japanese anime or drama…
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I actually love this song and don’t find it dated at all. It has a very cutesy vibe to it… similar to Fifty Fifty’s Cupid.
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