After taking Korea by storm in the spring of 2024, ILLIT’s Magnetic went on to see great success in markets like Japan. It only makes sense that they’d expand their career there, especially given HYBE’s existing infrastructure in the country. Almond Chocolate sees them getting in on the lucrative OST business, closely mirroring the sound of successful J-pop acts.
Almond Chocolate has a more ornate sound than ILLIT’s existing discography, forgoing quirky repetition for a light and frilly arrangement. It’s not unlike something we might have heard on a Lovelyz or GFriend b-side. In other words, the Japanese influence is strong. The strings that open the track are pure 2016-era nostalgia, and I’m definitely here for that. The girls’ vocals also feel less affected — especially during Almond Chocolate‘s robust pre-chorus. It’s clear that ILLIT are capable of delivering a variety of styles and I hope their future work continues to tease this out.
As for the song itself, Almond Chocolate is a bit inconsequential. It stays hushed and sweet all the way through, too hesitant to indulge in a bit of drama. Even the climactic power notes are buried in the mix, like someone’s singing in the room next door and we just so happen to hear the sound muffled through the wall. If ILLIT continue down this route, their producers need to let them really attack the material. That’s where classic songs are born. We gain nothing by holding back at every turn.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I’ve been saying this a lot for all recent kpop releases “its a pleasant listen but not something new and exciting for me to revisit again”…seems like a very toned down yoasobi single
For a jpop recommendation ive recently discovered this jazz versions of an opening for a volleyball anime that released a few years back that i rly liked
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=5feHdGgmkic&si=GpUnWmGaNNhZBjRB
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have a soft spot for this sound; there’s something so comforting about the strings and synth combos. Considering the cold weather in my part of the world, I’ll play this quite a bit. I was, at first, and still kinda am disappointed by melody in the chorus. On one hand, it keeping the same pattern of notes for so long adds to mood, but it really should’ve switched up sooner. I fear it may grate eventually as it is now.
The final chorus ad-libs were so buried in mix, as Nick said, but this is illit. Let’s be real they don’t have a vocalist who producers can be confident in to spotlight those vocals. I think the songwriters were hoping to indulge, but the producers had to settle and we’re lucky those vocals were still there
LikeLike
alright I sound a bit harsh, after seeing the recording session, I realize the high notes aren’t that bad and could’ve been brought forward in the mix
LikeLike
nah sorry this one mid af
LikeLike
They sound sooo kawaii here, like they are 14 years old.
LikeLike
this one’s got the off-putting hybe vocal blender mixing
LikeLike
Definitely closer to Lovelyz than GFRIEND.
Not bad, but kind of like popcorn.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Whoever mixed these vocals deserves jail time. The song itself is really good and I can imagine if the vocals didn’t sound like that I would probably love it.
LikeLike
actually liked it a bit, if it wasn’t for the poor vocal mixing, i would’ve rated it higher.
8.25/10
LikeLike
This is their first song over 3 minutes, but it’s still uninteresting.
LikeLike