Soloist Lee Chaeyeon has developed a quirky discography, taking advantage of her skills as a dancer to find upbeat rhythms that lodge themselves in your brain. Though most of her material has been solid, I wouldn’t say it’s had a consistent sound or energy. New single Don’t flips things once again, offering her take on a few trendy Y2K influences.
Rather than go straight down a garage or drum-and-bass route like many of her peers, Chaeyeon borrows elements from those genres and ties them to a track that sounds more current. The percussion borders on trap sometimes, structured in a lighter, bouncier way. I prefer when the production forgoes the tinnier end of the spectrum and embraces a bass-heavy sound. This doesn’t happen often, but offers a glimpse of how Don’t might sound if given a sonic makeover.
Melodically, Don’t takes a few nice turns but mostly circles around the same few ideas. These hooks sound quite satisfying during the first chorus. The challenge is making sure Don’t remains compelling all the way through. With this in mind, I find myself wishing for some sort of structural counterpoint. It feels like we’re spending too much time “don’t don’t don’t-ing,” and this particular melodic flourish acts more as an endpoint than a bridge to more exciting refrains.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Reacting as I hear it bc why not
first verse + melodic phone noises strong so far… ‘ring my bell’ catchy… chorus so far so good… I’m liking the random musical textures in the background that keep changing… 2nd verse NOT a massive changeup thank god… ‘ring my bell’ is DEF gonna be stuck in my head for a week, the ‘ha ha ha’ is sooo good…. okay second time hearing the chorus, it’s nice but underwhelming, the melodies are catchy but not that ambitious… OK THE SUDDEN INSTRUMENTAL, that is a fun changeup! hopefully it’s not mv only…. okay final chorus buildup satisfying, liking the final chorus adlibs too.
Okay, overall verdict: nice, but unambitious and unadventurous. 7.75.
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I dig the phone noises a lot. Just need to be bit muted to really work. (Remember when EXID’s “Call” was so good they released 4 different versions of it? Call, Every Night, Every Night pt2, and Every Night JP)
Probably would listen in the car, not sure it’s one I’d consistently not skip.
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I’ve only had a couple listens but I’m really liking it. An easy listen but there are additions that are so obviously that I feel like the song makers were content with “don’t” being background music that grabs attention here and there
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instantly fell in love with this song. 8.75 to me
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It’s … it’s actually quite good. Solidly written. Competently produced and performed. If anything, it underplays its hand. I think she sounds better here than on her previous releases – less nasal, more relaxed. Yeah, I Like it, capital L Like.
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one of the light song that you can easy listen few times in a row
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