Though JYP Entertainment has been active in Japan for many years, girl group NiziU was an early experiment in “J-pop group produced by Korean agency.” With companies like HYBE, SM and Lapone following suit, this strategy has become more common as time has gone on. It’s changing the J-pop idol landscape and blurring the lines between markets.
NiziU have done quite well since their 2020 debut and they’re at a point where they can begin to experiment with their sound. Rise Up isn’t a complete sonic shift, but the song is definitely edgier than most of their work so far. The girls sing in a lower register and the thumping beat offers a mix of propulsion and mood that works well. Symphonic accents add drama, especially as the track launches into its chorus. Though its melody is somewhat monotone, I love the first half of this hook. It’s very debut-era LE SSERAFIM — breathy coolness wrapped in a stylish package.
The song never loses focus, even as a rap-heavy second verse switches its approach. The instrumental is solid as a rock, and acts as Rise Up‘s definite MVP. The production may not be unique, but it’s polished to a sheen and unveils a robust tone that plays perfectly alongside NiziU’s vocals. I’d love to hear them explore this sound further.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I’m appreciating the whole K-Pop artists doing anime opening and endings trend (especially since it gave us TXT working with Hiroyuki Sawano). I might not watch the actual shows or find every song to be a hit, but it’s giving groups another space to experiment with sounds that we most likely wouldn’t get on their title tracks or even album B-sides in some cases. I’ve never really found NiziU’s releases to be that compelling, but this is a fun output from them. It’s not breaking any boundaries, but it gives me something new for the playlist this week. 😹
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An unexpected but welcome switch up by them. I think they fit the style well. I can’t get fully into this group because of their lack of tonal diversity; they have 9 members but only like 3 voices. I doubt that’s something they could change but what they should’ve changed is who did the high note. I would’ve rather heard miihi or Nina sing it instead of riku
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The bridge to this sounds a lot like BoA’s “Better”
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