Similar to its effect in Korea, the Japanese version of Produce 101 spreads its tentacles far and wide throughout the industry. Not only do participants end up in a variety of unaffiliated groups, but the show itself spawns multiple acts. Months after the debut of winning group ME:I, the runners up have made their debut as IS:SUE.
ME:I opted for a brighter, cutesy sound meaning IS:SUE must claim the other side of the girl group spectrum. Because… heaven forbid we do anything new or original, right? Connect feels like a mix of stylish LE SSERAFIM and clanging, clattering BABYMONSTER. It’s a tale of two segments, with its attitude-fueled verses working well and the simplistic chorus pulling the whole thing down.
These girls could clearly do something amazing with better material. I love the deeper tone to their vocals. The performance reminds me of older Avex groups like E-girls and Faky, and Connect begs for a chorus as strong as those highlights. Instead, the track unfurls a squeaky synth loop as disconnected melody lines collide with chanted catchphrases. It’s a waste of the squelchy bass and defiant stomp that highlights much of the instrumental and makes Connect feel more like obligatory product than a thrilling piece of music.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Gah, geez, kpop / jpop is so uninspired these days. Where is the joy in life, shouting to the rooftops. Have our AI overlords already won? This is how the world ends, not with bang but with a prechorus flutey sample rap section buzzword brand ambassadorship.
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I’m in the same boat as you on this one. I really wanted IS:SUE to be a group I could ‘connect’ with but aside from the visuals and performance… this song is not for me. There’s bits and pieces of it I like. The 2:30 mark had some real promise for me, it’s a shame they didn’t really do much with it.
I’m glad that Nano and Rino weren’t shelved since I think they’re truly talented. Yuki and Rin too of course. I can only hope when their full EP comes out there’s a b-side or something I can dig into….
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