RIIZE have barely let a month slip by without releasing new music. This is the perfect way to unveil a rookie group, blitzing the market with material so fans have no opportunity to stray elsewhere. Just six weeks since their funk dynamo comeback Boom Boom Bass, the guys have returned with their Japanese debut. Lucky acts as a natural extension of their glossy sound, melding energetic rhythms with slick pop melody.
Over the past few years, SM Entertainment has struggled to match the musical consistency they once held in Japan. Acts like SNSD, SHINee and TVXQ have vast Japanese discographies every bit as lauded as their Korean work. With Lucky, I’m convinced RIIZE will be able to follow in their footsteps. The song isn’t ultra ambitious or unique, but it’s in keeping with the group’s biggest strengths and executed with total panache. It plays as a more straightforward version of Get A Guitar, trading that track’s rhythmic range for a straightforward disco pop groove. The production fits squarely in what I like to call “roller rink ready” music. You can imagine playing this at any sort of party, whether donning skates or sneakers. It has a carnivalesque, consistently upbeat energy that radiates joy.
Lucky centers around the oft-repeated refrain that opens the track. This melody forms its chorus, though the pulsing pre-chorus also follows a similar sound. The song’s sense of continuity and smooth transitions will pay dividends in the long run. I expect Lucky to become a playlist staple, possibly even rising as time goes on. This is in large part due to RIIZE’s airy vocal blend. Their arrangement throughout the track is stellar, recalling SM greats of the past. All that’s missing is a killer Sohee ad-lib to put the song over the top.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
idk about this one. the melodies are a little flat and repetitive
I don’t think there’s even a pre-chorus.
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I enjoyed the song, it’s a nice listen. I definitely agree with it being free flowing, each part flowed smoothly into the next. The groove does remind me of Calvin Harris’ Feels (especially some Pharrell Williams?), but I think Riize’s delivery draws me to the song. You vocalized my thoughts on SM’s Japanese discography. They certainly prioritized it in 1.5 and 2nd gen. Though there’s highlights in 3rd gen, they have certainly dialed it back on the market.
There’s been recent discurse on how newer K-pop releases aimed at the Japanese market are lacking in sung Japanese, instead opting for more English. I think Lucky (luckily 😭) avoids much of that criticism.
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I love it. It’s a midtempo funk jam you can roller skate to.
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I just like the sound SM is giving these boys. They truly do feel like SHINee 2.0 to me, albeit with less distinctive voices and less trend-setting. But there’s something that just screams young, refreshing and luminous in every song and performance in a way that feels so nostalgic to me!
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Ehh, first impression is that it’s very repetitive, both in melody and in lyrics. It’s not that obvious and in your face type of repetitive pop, and I like the funky groove, but it’s not all that enjoyable for me..
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…i fear u missed with this one, the song is super repetitive and i could see this being in the 7’s if another group had released this song.
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This song is so very simple and I shouldn’t like because it’s so inoffensive…….but there’s something about a few particular chord progressions that just DO it for me. Like the one that’s in this song…………and the chord progressions in Shinee’s Like It, Travis Japan’s Candy Kiss……..
8.5 for me because of that alone. And the very catchy chorus.
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It’s hard to release a funky dance song called “Lucky” and not invite a comparison to Daft Punk “Get Lucky”. To myself in the US, it sounds like too derivative. I have no idea if that song was as big in Japan.
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As someone who’s also from the US, it doesn’t sound that much like Get Lucky, I would say it sounds more like ‘Feels’ by Calvin Harris
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I want to like this more than I do, but it’s not making me groove like I know it should… am I growing old and boring?
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