Sometimes I can be remarkably bad at predicting which songs are going to grow into huge viral hits. When AKMU’s Love Lee was released last year, I found it both dull and cloying — a hard balance to pull off! But thanks to numerous TikTok dances, the song quickly became ubiquitous. I still find it both dull and cloying, but my innate love for AKMU makes new music an exciting prospect nonetheless.
New single Hero pulls things way back for a gentle, hushed sound. It reminds me of a b-side we might have heard on the duo’s debut album. The song is very pretty, but strikes me as an odd choice for title track. Thankfully, the melodies are strong throughout. I’m most impressed by Suhyun’s portions of the verses. They’re performed almost a cappella, allowing her crystal clear tone to compel interest on its own.
Hero blooms a bit toward the end as percussion gives it more drive. But even here, the track presents itself with all the energy of a lullaby. Weirdly, it makes Love Lee sound like a dance banger in comparison. I guess this is smart counterprogramming during the busy summer season, but it’s hard to see Hero enjoying the same viral success as its predecessor. Then again, I’ve clearly been wrong before!
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I still don’t understand the huge popularity of Love Lee. Is it the third greatest K-pop song ever? Of course not, not even close, right? Yet, it spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Melon charts – the 3rd most amount ever, except for NewJeans’ Ditto (14 weeks), and BTS’s Dynamite (11 weeks).
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There were SO many people doing the dance (which really isn’t even much of a dance) on TikTok last year. I think that’s what mainly propelled it.
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The same Korean music dynamic that has “Every Day, Every Moment” still on the same charts since like forever.
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I like Hero, it has a nice breezy bossa nova feel, perfect for the summer.
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I like me some Akmu, some releases more than others. This one falls somewhere int he middle of the muddle. I’m digging the subtle bossa nova too.
But really, what Akmu is about is reality. Reality-ality-ality. The songs have meaning, meaningful lyrics, and have nice performances too. Brother writes the songs, sister sings like a bird. Best brother-sister team since the Carpenters. They can play this as a duo, in front of a full band, on a big show, on a small show, perhaps busking somewhere, and you know each time will be all good.
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The music video is adorable. I love the low budget but still fairytale feel it has. The song itself is a pleasant thing to put on in the background, but nothing I think I’ll get stuck in my head. To be honest, I only have one AKMU-related song playlisted, and that’s Alien. I guess their music just generally isn’t my vibe. But they’re both super talented and I appreciate what they do! Looking forward to seeing the brother’s work on one of Nayeon’s b-sides later this summer.
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