Beyond the quality of the music, the number one thing that draws me to a newly debuted group is a unique perspective. Many of this new generation’s big names (TWS, BOYNEXTDOOR) have a specific sound and concept that carries even their weaker material. If any agency is poised to replicate this approach, it’s Mystic Story. They managed to give girl group Billlie a unique worldview and I’m hoping they can do the same for ARrC. Pre-release Dummy didn’t do much for me, and S&S (Sour & Sweet) further complicates things.
This song is aptly named because it’s a grab bag of elements — some pleasant and others off-putting. I admire the ambition it takes to stuff this many ideas into one track, and given modern expectations its three-and-a-half minute running time seems to stretch on forever. However, I wish that every individual piece felt like its own highlight. It’s a bit like digging through a crate of candy only to find that you’re not interested in most of the flavors.
S&S opens with a rugged electro groove that instantly captures attention. The bass undulates with real presence, stealing attention from the so-so verse thrown over the top. From here, we slow to a syrupy crawl before dropping into the most disappointing course in S&S‘s multifaceted menu. The opening half of the chorus is an obnoxious slog — a jolt of sing-song catchphrasery that just doesn’t work. The melodic refrain that follows is far more enjoyable, though I can’t help but feel I’ve heard this same sound executed more successfully in many an NCT Dream track. S&S gets weirder from here, but so many of its cool production flourishes (electric guitar!) are buried in predictable bluster. The song would benefit from a streamlined approach that trims its weaker, more grating moments.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I liked the electro elements, but the ”wee woo” chorus kinda puts me off. I agree that it’s a little messy, but it also has potential, it just needs a better arrangement.
Ratings is the same.
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LOVE the production. the first part of the chorus is a no for me, thankfully the post-chorus is fun.
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this is really just too nct especially nct dream like don’t get me wrong im the biggest nctzen but these boys deserve to have their own sound instead of getting compared to nct at the get go
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This feels like a different way to NCT-ify a song but instead of building a song around one NCT sound they took elements from different NCT songs (like Firetruck for the chorus) and threw them all together. It’s too bad the sum ended up not being greater than the parts.
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so basically.. nct nct-ified 😭
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I think we will look back at this song years from now and say this was the start of the post-neosound era. Yes, the song does borrow a lot of neosound elements, the thing is it actually subverts them which gains a lot of respect to me. This song is fun because it doesn’t take itself seriously and I love that, the production is something new yet grounded. ARrC has a lot of potential to me because it is exactly the kind of stuff that subverts my expectation of what a “dark” boygroup is these days.
So I love this song in the same realm as I loved RING X RING. I hope Mystic does continue these interesting paths.
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For me, I love Ring x Ring the same way I love f(x)’s Red Light, but I dislike this song the same way I dislike Smoothie.
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That is interesting. But hey I am always in the thought of Smoothie is something that was in the realm of the neosound (it is the worst moment of it tbh) and as for S&S I will probably look back at how revolutionary this song was (has something to do with how it tries to play extremes and there is a throughline that I actually can follow) and yeah it is purely on the perspective of how it tries to push the boundary of music without “breaking” music theory, but I guess that’s just me.
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Officially competing for most off-putting chorus of the year. The song wasn’t for me, and here’s to hoping their future releases win me over.
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Re-listening, the song would have been an 8.5 if they got rid of that annoying weeooh part (literally the second part of the chorus would’ve been a perfect chorus). I’m this 🤏 close to editing the song and removing that part, because it’s actually very dynamic and enjoyable otherwise. The producers needed one more revision to eliminate that unnecessary and irritating part that drags the entire song.
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The song feels like a hair metal band coming out with an arena song in about, say, 1994. Its a fine song, perhaps good or even great, but it is just a few years too late for this sound and this style. It has been done over and over again.
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it’d be nice if you can rate any of their bsides, personally i like all of them better that the s&s, shadow being my favourite
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