It’s been about a year since we heard from Hwasa with the gimmicky (but somehow enduring?) I Love My Body. On new single NA, she’s traded that song’s retro trappings for a more modern house beat. It’s a welcome jolt of energy within her discography, even if the track spends too much time talking when it could be singing.
First off, I love hearing this kind of energy back in K-pop. NA‘s dance beat isn’t anything new or idiosyncratic, but its insistent pulse makes for an exciting listen. This intensity helps showcase Hwasa’s natural charisma, drawing out a feistiness that gives the track character. She shines on the vocal-led pre-choruses, varying her delivery for maximum effect.
Unfortunately, NA‘s chorus is a letdown. The effusive production calls for a fleshed-out hook where Hwasa can really belt. Instead, the song reverts to the tired sing-talk that’s become a K-pop staple over the past few years. It’s all attitude, attitude, attitude. But without robust melody or compelling flow to back that attitude up, the hook feels more like posturing lip service than a true declaration of confidence. It’s a shame, because I love this sonic direction for Hwasa and we know she has the talent to knock it out of the park. It’s yet another case of TikTok virality taking precedence over songwriting that might linger past a thirty second sound bite.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Love the UK garage and house elements. Wish the chorus was stronger and there was a bridge and third chorus to send things on a high note.
8 (7, 9, 8, 8) for me
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Okay, part of the general problem in kpop right now is that even idols who CAN sing masterfully, are not given material that pushes them or showcases that skill. That being said, house is one of my favorite genres, and unless a song majorly fumbles it, I tend to baseline enjoy most songs
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Agree. Hwasa can sing pretty well. Here, she or the producers decided that each line in the verses are sung one at a time, instead of having the whole verse sung through. (The hiccups are noticeable at 0:24 and 0:28 and other places.) Its not even a hard song, so whyeeeee.
That said, I also appreciate the energy. The song is ready made for high street fast fashion shop soundtracks.
The oh ready set go section starting at 1:04 reminds me of the ooohhhhh sexy lady part of Gangnam Style.
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There is definitely a PSY title track sort of feel that permeates the song. Some of what feels a bit off about the song to me is that it does have some of those elements, but it doesn’t fully commit to either. It also doesn’t quite align with the image Hwasa has created as a soloist so far… even when going for gimmicks, they felt more understated due to her delivery. It would be interesting to know if this is more a result of the label change to PNation or if Hwasa herself is trying to differentiate herself from the more vocal oriented image she has from Mamamoo. I could see why that could be the case. Idols known for their vocal abilities can very easily be pigeonholed into the ballad and OST department after striking out on their own once their group activity ends or barely exists.
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I think part of that problem is due to the fact that a lot of producers have fallen into the rut of making vocally demanding songs (unless crafter for specific groups they work with long term) ballads, adult contemporary, or OSTs. Especially with the K-Pop climate the way it is now with the sort of background or tiktok music trends. the most vocal oriented songs fall into two categories: go for broke or go for ballad. Very few seem to be navigating that middle distance. Sometimes restraint can be a good thing, but it has to align with the production, and that doesn’t seem to be happening here.
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P NATION needs to hang it up already I’m sorry
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Trash, as we’ve come to expect from PSY and his crew.
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I love the production OMG but whyyyyyyy is the song so tame and like really average? There’s like 10 authors in the credits, to write this? I get it, it’s for TikTok, but you can still have a great chorus and then a “tiktok viral sort of section” … I don’t understand.
I miss the times when we had something like f(x) 4 WALLS 😦
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I miss the times when we had Rude Love!!! You can do slow house and make it moving, compelling, heartfelt, and engaging!! Also shoutout to Papi and Somebody (and the king of all, View)
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The song’s fine, but my favorite song off the album would be “Just Want to Have Some Fun”.
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Mine too!
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I can hear the TikTok optimization of it all, and listening alone the song feels slight. But the live stages pop OFF. It could just be Hwasa’s charisma, but this song really shines live (and in the video too).
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It’s been said, but this track has PSY written all over it. It’s catchy but I do wish there was a bit more melody to go on here. As it is, it’s all very tiktok trendy.
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