After years of waiting for JYP Entertainment to debut their team from 2021’s LOUD survival series, KickFlip were one of my most anticipated new acts of 2025. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to connect with their music so far. I was hoping the songs would grow on me with time, but if anything the opposite has happened. There’s a very fine line between rambunctious/fun/cheeky and cloying. For me, songs like Mama Said lean further toward the latter. Fortunately, follow-up track Knock Knock points a new way forward.
I’ve long had a love-and-hate relationship with JYP’s musical output. The agency seems to favor highly repetitive, nursey rhyme hooks — especially when it comes to boy groups. At its best, Knock Knock has a groovy sound reminiscent of EXO’s classic Growl. I like the tight vocal harmonies that buttress the song’s hook and wish they were framed around more engaging melodies. While I don’t particularly like the chorus, the way it’s delivered is captivating and fresh. Given different material, it’s clear KickFlip could (and hopefully will) be a formidable rookie group.
So rather than spend too much time dissecting Knock Knock, I prefer to think of the song as a roadmap for future endeavors. I hope the group eases away from gimmicks and explores the more soulful aspects of their vocal line. This song works best in service to its groove, especially when the vocals forge their own rhythm.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
It made me think of “my last first love” by nct dream. Mostly just in the production and harmonies. This track sounds very SM not JYP. Unlike mama said, I think I’ll get a quote a few listens out of this track
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There’s just so much discrepancy in this song, what they’re singing is mismatched with the instrumental, and the sections themselves are in a disagreement between eachother. I see how someone could easily call this NCT like, but tbh if anyone remembers when some people were saying a few years ago that what NCT was doing is the “future music”, “what we’re gonna listen someday”, and “we just don’t get it right now”. Well I guess for some people it was that way, and I also think enough time has passed that we can realise it has always been only these *some people*, the trend is already gone, so why hold on to it in 2025?
Jyp really has to do something about this imo, they can’t let their youngest groups release such disjointed stuff and expect to someday look back at these songs with joy. A lot of this is passing just because the group is likeable themselves, and I’m saying this about Kickflip as well, the members are so likeable and obviously talented. The sooner they pick up a pencil and paper and whatever daw, the better it is for them.
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I feel like JYP’s biggest weakness is that they’re huge trend-chasers and suck at setting a proper distinctive identity for their groups. Like NMIXX’s “Mixxpop” shtick being described as a whole new genre as if it wasn’t a thing before (I still remember the constant O.O and Next Level comparisons), though it still lowkey helps them stand out somehow.
The lack of identity mostly applies for ITZY. ITZY had a strong debut year thanks to their bratty, carefree identity displayed by their music though it derailed since Mafia In The Morning and adding Sneakers to the mix became a greater disaster and since then, JYP’s struggled with a clear vision for them. This also applies to NEXZ, who happen to follow the same classic SKZ/NCT posturing done by many boy groups.
So I fear KickFlip might suffer the same fate as ITZY unless they produce their own songs like SKZ do, cause SKZ being a self-producing group is their biggest saving grace. Plus, them being given edgy boy group slop 101 doesn’t help either. (Also, weird considering they did well with Twice’s and Miss A’s identity)
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Yes, I always see people who say that only self-producing groups can make it in JYP and it’s so true, because whatever 3racha produce for SKZ, to me it’s always gonna be better and more meaningful than whatever it is that Nmixx, Itzy or now Kickflip are getting. I didn’t really compare SKZ to NCT much because besides the posturing, musically it’s not really in the same alley, but the other JYP groups somehow ended up there. I made a lot of comments on this blog (I think) about NCT’s shaping of 4th gen boygroup soundscape, for the worse, and I think all those comments can boil into one: one NCT is more than enough😂. JYP used to do well with Got7’s music too, but there was also their own writing so yeah, I’m here begging Kickflip to go and write something. Please. (But seeing how most of them reacted to Young K butchering their song I don’t know what to think😂)
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I like it, it’s groovy! Haven’t checked Mama Said and Umm Great in weeks (though their hooks sometimes act as this weird earworm, esp the former, even though I hate Umm Great’s hooks), but this one might get some listens outta me! The melodies are decent, though forgettable. But if they continue with this sound, they might have a winning formula.
8 (8, 8, 8, 8) for me
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What a coincidence that we get a KickFlip release surrounded by releases by other LOUD alumni. Zo Doohyun, (stage name Leo) is in Xodiac and Yoon Dongyeon is in POW. I honestly would have loved to see either of them in KickFlip.
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I think its fine. If there is a problem, it is that the song sound written from the head not the heart. Overthinking how to lay down a groove.
Since there is a comparison to EXO Growl, whose structure is mimics (half points there from me), the na, na-nahh, na-nahh hook is a bit herky jerky, the little grace note tiny na is not a beat that one can move to. If you are office chair boogieing like I do, the beat reduces to the simple 1-2-3-4. The shoulder roll ignores the little na. The EXO lays on top of the beat those long notes that pull the lines like taffy, so the dance moves naturally have these smooth-fast-pop motions which emphasize the groove. This KickFlip song doesn’t lay into enough pulls to make it sexy, just merely flirting.
I am hearing the hook of Chaeyeon’s “Knock” in this song too.
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I was thinking of Growl the whole time while watching this, must be the repetitive beat behind the song. To be honest I want to like them more but they still haven’t released any song that I really like.
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I wasn’t so hyped about their debut so this is a pleasant surprise. Does what a K-pop songs needs to do. It’s something that I’d listen to on the radio but skip on Spotify.
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This one serves as a fine placeholder, I am neither less interested nor more interested in their next release after hearing this. I do think the boys have talent though, so I’m still gonna be tuning in.
On a weird note, I feel like “Um Great”‘s hook grew on me and now I ashamedly enjoy it like some kind of k-pop junk food that I know is bad for me but I don’t care.
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