When debuting a new K-pop group, I’m convinced that agencies either pull a random handful of letters/numbers from a bag or crack open a dictionary, close their eyes and choose the first word their finger lands on. “Dignity” is a perfectly nice word. It’s beautiful, even. However, it doesn’t immediately conjure the image of a pop boy group.
Today marks Dignity’s debut with title track Cool Down (식혀). The song sees them taking on new jack swing — an ever-popular throwback genre in K-pop. It’s a sound I tend to enjoy, largely based on my own nostalgia. But too often, the industry defangs it, resulting in a half-hearted retread that lacks knockout energy.
There are parts of Cool Down that remind me of early Seventeen. The guys have a loose, freewheeling spirit that compliments this genre. Icy synths add to the retro appeal and the track moves at a clip without any glaring missteps. It’s performed well, with both vocals and rap polished to high degree. And, the post-chorus’s quirky synth loop adds just enough character to make Cool Down more than a simple pastiche. Even so, the track rarely rises above “pleasant,” lacking the kind of superstar hooks that could make it really pop.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I liked this quite a bit more than you. The EP’s solid and has a real winner in Fire, which cribs (successfully) from Block B’s Nalina playbook.
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I remember these kids from Peak Time and was wondering if they would actually debut. I’m pleasantly surprised, this was a pretty decent, albiet safe debut. As a 90’s kid this was right up my lane, I love me some new jack and anything r&b inspired.
I do wish the vocals were a little more full during the chorus but hey, this is 2024 kpop we’re talking about, where vocals don’t seem to be the centerpiece. This could be due to the group not having a strong vocal or the producer just didn’t want to go full throttle. But what do I know…i’ll probably check out their mini album to see what they’re working with.
Also I loved the simple styling…a long white t, jeans, and white air force ones. It felt like I was back in college watching Dem Franchise Boyz video.
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Dignity, it’s like Diggity with auto-spelling correct on.
Song. It’s fine. Very kpop does new jack swing. It overthinks it as a pop song so winds up being edible but not delightful. Trying to hard to be bright a poppy and fun, but instead just winds up ok. OK enough.
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