Billlie pre-released the understated Trampoline last week, complete with a low-budget music video that suggested they were saving their resources for their album’s title track. Remembrance Candy (기억사탕) is that title, arriving within the quirky worldbuilding we’ve come to expect from the group. It also scores a co-write from IU, who worked on the lyrics. But as a piece of music, the song is relatively restrained compared to their ambitious singles discography.
Remembrance Candy has a jazzy groove seeped in sentiment. The warm instrumental matches the girls’ soft harmonies with a lively bed of diverse percussion and the occasional burst of brass. Their vocals have never sounded better, forgoing power for a more nuanced performance. This style reminds me a bit of Lovelyz — another girl group underrated for their vocal prowess. It makes me curious how Billlie would sound with this same approach on a song that carries more oomph.
Remembrance Candy‘s intentions are in the right place and I appreciate where it’s going, but I wish the song itself stood out more. It’s relentlessly tasteful, like something you might hear in the background of a fancy cocktail party. Its effusive chorus reminds me of the holiday season, bringing a cozy feeling on cold winter days. But compared with Billlie’s most exciting work, this feels more like a footnote than a main chapter.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
its nice. 8/10 for me (8, 8, 8, 8)
(also current thoughts on the new stray kids single?)
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Do you mean this one? It’s ok!
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yeah, this one. I find the chorus to be the best part. 9/10 for me (9, 8, 9, 10)
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I can’t believe they translate the title as Remembrance Candy when they could have just called it Sweet Memory.
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The Korean title translated literally is “memory candy” so “remembrance candy” isn’t far off. I think “remembrance candy” is a better title than “memory candy” or “sweet memory”. It fits the mood of the song . It also stands out, what other song can you name with the same title? I doubt we’ll see it happen for a while too
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They sound great, but the chorus delivery might discourage listeners from singing along. For me, I felt like that high note in the bridge should’ve been belted, it would’ve been more effective, contrasting with the more restrained delivery of the rest of the song. I can imagine a brass instrumental break here too with the apparent jazzy direction of the album. This would be a b side worth saving, but a just good title track. I can see this growing with time
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Totally agree with you about kicking it up a notch at that bridge note, I think if they had added Haram Suhyeon and Sheon doing riffs and just giving more overall vocal firepower on that last chorus, the song would have felt more dynamic. It just feels like it’s bubbling underneath being a great, different choice for a title, but I do think it’ll grow on me too.
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Tasteful is exactly the word that comes to mind when listening to this. (I love reading this blog, it’s like my feelings and thoughts are crystallized into the exact words needed to express them!)
This song is poppy enough to count as candy, but this is a handcrafted little chocolate in a fancy wrapper.
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Billie have fallen off 😦
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I’m so happy to see all of Billlie back together! That being said, the song’s just okay.
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The title track is pretty ok, but I must admit that I liked the pre-release single more. The real strength is in the b-sides though (as expected from Billlie), Bluerose and shame are both fantastic. Especially Bluerose is really groovy, I like it a lot.
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