Review

Song Review: Hearts2Hearts – The Chase

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I often find myself playing the expectation game with K-pop, trying to enjoy music for what it is rather than what I’ve built it up to be in my head. For over a year now, SM’s new girl group has been rumored to be the second coming of SNSD — a possibility that got me ridiculously excited. K-pop’s girl groups rarely make SNSD-style megawatt pop music anymore and the industry desperately needs a new act that breaks free of the beige pop cycle it’s stuck in. Hearts2Hearts may very well become that group, but debut single The Chase is just as subdued as I’d feared.

Taking my own bias out of the equation and lifting industry-saving expectations off of this song, I’m still underwhelmed. The Chase passes by with plenty of vibe but no real drama, like a pleasant whisper. Rather than push things forward (as SM Entertainment has often done), it kowtows to every trend of the moment. This song could have easily come from a dozen currently active groups and without the agency’s enormous cachet I doubt whether it would have received much attention.

The Chase is well-executed and I hear some nice vocals in its mix. But as a full debut package, it offers very little. Melodically, it feels like a nice b-side, pulling its punches with a ton of lazy sing-talk rather than full-fledged hooks. Dull verses are resuscitated by beautiful harmonies, making me curious how SM will harness the girls’ talents in the future. For now, the mood board seems hazy and unsure. I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to say this, but The Chase is easily SM’s most underwhelming debut song in decades (maybe ever!).

Hooks 6
 Production 8
 Longevity 8
 Bias 7
 RATING 7.25

Grade: C

59 thoughts on “Song Review: Hearts2Hearts – The Chase”

  1. It’s a good song but for a debut it’s not strong enough. And it’s even weaker when you compare with other debut songs by sm groups.

    I’m still looking forward to see what the future holds for them.

    (to me Into The New World remains the best debut song ever)

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  3. My comment is kinda rant-ish because I consider myself a fan of SM girl groups (SNSD, SES, The Grace, f(x), Red Velvet, aespa) and I have expectations. It feels like a rejected Red Velvet B-side (or fx) from the Russian Roulette or the Cosmic album. It’s acceptable, something you should never say about an SM gg debut. I hate that we don’t get a chorus, it’s so frustrating. If I’m honest I hope this song doesn’t perform well because that would hopefully translate to their Center choosing better songs in the future. I get they want to differentiate them from aespa, but they should’ve seen Into the New World’s chart performance last year and realize the power of that timeless and powerful sound that resonates far beyond its release (instead of regurgitating what’s already in the market). I did find one detail very clever. I know they have a horse/pony (?) mascot, and they referenced that famous moving horse moving image sequence that I believe is one of the oldest surviving ‘videos’. But yeah, this release falls squarely in the Illit / rescene camp (even if it’s more fleshed out in its few lush parts). Like, the chorus for Glow Up would fit perfectly in this song (if someone knows how to mash songs it’ll be interesting to see how it would sound). There were a few interesting dynamics, but that’s it. As always, SM production (vocals and instrumental) are crisp and polished. Yet, let me be petty with a personal gripe: how dare they film in a mall with stairs if we are not getting anything anywhere near as great as Into the New World!!!! (I’m half joking, because how are you gonna reference the visuals without referencing the music quality). I never thought we would get ‘boring’ music from an SM group. Makes me wonder if the creatives that headed veteran SM groups are completely non-existent in the company.

    And yes, I would say the most underwhelming SM debut ever! Including ballad heavy ones like The Grace’s My Everything and the forgotten pit of groups like Black Beat.

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  4. *sighs* This is so underwhelming, and I was hopeful they’ll do something different from what the current trend is (I mean, SM has almost never succumbed to trends!). The verses are pretty good though, but my god, is the chorus underwhelming. Just plain sing-talk in a monotonous whisper with nothing memorable to hold on to. The entire song just goes by like a breeze. Definitely SM’s weakest debut ever (now I’m curious how you’d rank SM groups’ debuts. Or maybe for funsies, ranking every K-Pop debut, though ofc, Into The New World will be 1st either way lol)

    But well, 7.25 (7, 8, 7, 7) for now.

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  6. It’s far too inconsequential. Pleasant vocals. Sprinkles of harmonies here and there but it’s not developed. I had a specific sound in mind and they didn’t live up to it.

    On the contrary get a guitar was far more solid and decently memorable. Nothing about this propmts me to replay.

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  7. This is really the most underwhelming SM debut I’ve heard. There is really a problem with their current stagnating A&R — and I’ve noticed this since 2017. I was really glad with NCT WISH’ and RIIZE’ output and also the improving aespa quality last year, but this as a debut for your 6th girl group?! Just… I feel so bad for these artists.

    Here is my ranking of all SM debut songs since SM Studios.
    1. Into the New World – Girls’ Generation
    2. Warrior’s Descendant – H.O.T
    3. 미지수야 미지수 – J&J
    4. Paradox – TRAX
    5. MAMA – EXO
    6. I’m Your Girl – S.E.S
    7. Resolver – SHINHWA
    8. Replay – SHINee
    9. 너만을 느끼며 – The Blue
    10. Early Spring Day – MAJOR
    11. Twins (Knock Out) – Super Junior
    12. Hug – TVXQ!
    13. Too Good – The Grace
    14. Wings – BLACK BEAT
    15. One – Isak N Jiyeon
    16. ID; Peace B – BoA
    17. LA chA TA – f(x)
    18. WISH – NCT WISH
    19. Happiness – Red Velvet
    20. Day by Day – FLY TO THE SKY
    21. Get A Guitar – RIIZE
    22. Fire Truck – NCT 127
    23. Take Off – WayV
    24. Chewing Gum – NCT Dream
    25. Black Mamba – aespa
    26. The Chase – Hearts2Hearts

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    • I think you forgot The 7th Sense Sense/Without You from NCT U. I will always be a Chewing Gum defender, it’s annoyingly good! I don’t know, but I think Black Mamba, though not everyone’s taste, it’s one of my most listened to.

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    • Something curious I want to comment on, of course from my ignorance of K-POP (and English). I think the word “resolver” is not an English word (it’s actually Spanish for “to solve”), which makes me wonder why Shinhwa’s debut song is known as “Resolver”. I knew about that song from TheBiasList’s top 10 songs, but I always assumed the title of the linked mv was in Spanish because the video had Spanish subtitles (it wasn’t an official upload). I didn’t find any other source for calling the song “Resolver” other than that MV. Maybe that video was the only one available at the time and many people called the song that way? or am I missing something?

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      • The offical title is in Korean and directly translates to ‘Problem Solver’. There’s an official audio that’s titled ‘The Solver’, which in English can be interchanged with Resolver (someone who resolves/solves problems). That might be why that’s another common name the song is known by

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      • It’s not commonly used in English, but it’s perfectly acceptable and applicable in certain contexts. For example:

        Courts are resolvers of disputes.

        The IT team used a DNS resolver to translate domain names into IP addresses.

        As a skilled conflict resolver, she mediated the dispute between the two employees.

        The lawyer acted as a dispute resolver, ensuring both parties reached a fair agreement.

        He installed a high-speed resolver in the robotic system to improve position accuracy.

        The software includes an advanced address resolver to enhance network performance.

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          • Like probably many of your students when writing a paper, I prompted: “Hey ChatGPT, use the world resolver in some sentences.” haha

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        • Hi. Thanks, that explains very well why they call it “resolver” in English too without it sounding weird. I was still unsure, because I couldn’t find any other previous source that calls the song “Resolver”, and even though the title means “problem solver”, something that is definitely not common in Spanish is the word “solver”. Nobody uses it, it’s always like “the one who solve”, and if you use the word “solucionador” you’re probably talking about a computer. So it wouldn’t be crazy to title the song “Resolver” instead of “El que resuelve” (nobody would title a song like that).
          I just looked for the account that did the translation into Spanish and she usually use English titles (of course, I also found titles like Cactus and Angel that don’t help me much, but the others seem to be in English). It seems like she was translating the songs from the English translations, so someone probably translated it into English first, and called it Resolver (maybe because there wasn’t an official YT release to get an international name from, and I don’t know exactly how rare the term “resolver” is in English to determine that everyone would have chosen to call it “The Solver” instead). Maybe the song was already known like that before, but I didn’t find anything, those who were around the k-pop scene at the time would know it, I guess. Thanks once again.

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  8. I think this is a great song. The production is flawless, the voices intriguing and the second verse rap excellent. There is not much of a chorus however the melody is there and memorable. Of course it takes cues from NewJeans but the lush sounds makes it unique. I really like it.

    Now they need to affirm their individuality.

    9 for me.

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      • Well for starters, I don’t think I’ve ever thought “That sounds like a B-side” for any other SM artist debut before this one. Even for the debut tracks I didn’t like (unpopular opinion here, but I’ve never liked Happiness, for example), I can usually give SM props for producing memorable material that establishes a sound that doesn’t feel like just another retread of current trends.

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  11. I do like it, but we desperately need the 2nd SNSD. this is the 2nd SM girl group with the mysterious f(x) style already (RV set themselves apart with the Red and Velvet concepts), while aespa are in a lane of their own.

    I’ve been listening to a lot of SNSD since the year started and it made me miss them very much. judging from their performance, I think these girls have the talent to pull it off. I hope SM can give them stronger material soon, and something that will make them truly stand out in the current generation.

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  13. Sigh, not a fan. At worst I’d call it bland and uninspired, but that’s a bit harsh. It’s not a bad song. It just reminds me of “Izna” to in its overly safe, collective approach and muted gray haze visuals–it’s meh. It also reminds me of Illit, but without the catchiness of “Magnetic.”

    The video has no memorable scenes (I had to go back and watch a few times because I just kept wandering), and the vocals, while nice, weren’t anything unique. There was no standout vocal moment, no standout rap, no standout dance break. It did nothing to introduce the members and instead presented them as a gray-toned collective rather than emphasizing their individual strengths. 

    Honestly, it reminds me of Riize (which I know is loved around here but alas I don’t personally get the hype). Granted, this is just H2H’s debut, but considering that imo SM hasn’t figured out what it wants to do with Riize yet, I’m side-eyeing whether they’ll figure it out here.

    It feels like SM is more chasing trends rather than setting them–this song could be Illit, LSF, or NJ, just like Riize’s songs could be performed by ZB1, TWS, or BND (though currently BG trends are slightly more my taste) in that they lack a strong musical identity. Especially when compared to their SM predecessors where, when you listen to an SM group’s song, for better or for worse, you know that a song is NCT, aespa, Red Velvet, etc.

    Then again they definitely took the girl crush trend and modified it into its own flavor with aespa, so maybe they’ll do that here. But Black Mamba set an intriguing tone from the start, while this really doesn’t. At least for me. 

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  15. I am a fan of this style of k-pop in general so I really like it, though I agree it is rather subdued especially for a debut. I wish the ending went on for another bar. I hope they stay in the same nj territory cuz I want more of that coming from my favorite production company. Let’s hope they make the next one a banger and give the rest of you something to work with 😉

    8/10/8/10 = 9

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  16. totally agree with everything you said. Sm has been making us wait so long for her girl group only to give us a debut that is nowhere near the level of her other groups’ previous debuts.

    Still, I will keep up with their next releases though, because I find the girls’ voices charming and I find it hard to see Sm giving another song that is just as disappointing if they are interested in positioning their girl group well.

    I am still amazed at the sales H2h are getting though. It is obvious that it was a good strategy to add a member from Southeast Asia. For me this song is 6.7

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    • I feel like we all lost. Neither of these debuts was something to rave about. I wonder if it’ll be a second gen situation where groups don’t have a strong debut/showcase out of the gate, but then beginning releasing better music.

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        • Unless they release something radically different and they pull one over us, then their mvs/songs so far fall in line with the current crop. Maybe Starship chose to release these songs to create an image of the group to then subvert it later on, or to just simply test the waters for what the public is willing to tolerate and support.

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  18. Like Nick and most people in the comments section, I had huge expectations. On one hand, it’s always exciting to see a new girl group from SM (my fave company in terms of music output). Especially since they’re kind of known for being trend-setters and because they had a massive mission: making sure H2H could stand on their own, without taking many clues from aespa or Red Velvet.

    On the other hand, I was also pretty hyped with FLO (a British R&B and pop group) rumored to be credited in the song. After listening, I scrolled down and confirmed the FLO were involved in the track, and I felt a little underwhelmed, I must confess. Having listened to FLO last year, I’m surprised at how bland the chorus is. I don’t know if this was their idea or if any of the other producers/writers in the song came up with it, but considering FLO’s songs have killer choruses, I was expecting the same thing here.

    On a more positive note, SM Entertaiment did a good job at making them different to Red Velvet and aespa. The song has really nice harmonies and the verses are great to listen to, which makes me think this group could be promising in terms of actual live signing. Overall, there are great elements in the song, I just wish the chorus would make the track peak instead of letting the harmonies do all the heavy-lifting.

    7/10

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  19. I really feel for the kids these days, the teenagers growing up with bland music. As the resident old lady here, I must say that calm music doesn’t actually make you calm. Loud punchy music that gets all the angst out all at once, that kind of music just soothes soul. I reminisce about the days of old.

    This song sounds like ambient music, the one with the girl studying at the desk with the cat, the one that has been running on youtube continuously for years. Take that, speed it up by a good 1.75x or 2x, and add a vocal line.

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  20. As a huge fan of SM groups I’ve been looking forward to this group since there was only a mention of a new gg. And I’ve also seen the comparisons to SNSD which is why I had really high expectations for their debut song.

    I actually like the subdued sound and I like the dreamy instrumental and vocals in this song but even me who eats songs like these up expected them to get a “louder” and more melodic debut 🥲 but imo you can hear that this is SM’s take of the subdued sound…

    And yeah, I feel like they’ll switch things up with their first comeback, though, just like aespa did but we’ll see… screenshotting this to laugh at my delusions in the future 😭

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  21. i mean yeah the subdued sound has been done to death but this is a pretty unique almost fx-esque take on it production wise + i rlly like the vocal phrasing in the chorus. still tho it definitely feels more like a gwsn/billlie bside more than. say. a debut song

    rn id feel a low 8 maybe high 7 on this

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  22. I thought “The Chase” was a B side song and a bit disappointing when I first heard it but it’s growing on me a lot after a few more listens. I think it’s a decent debut that nicely introduces the group. It’s not the best or even great but it’s good enough that I’m still looking forward to future releases. They are clearly talented and hopefully future releases can capitalize on that.

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  23. Well, I like it more than Black Mamba, at least.

    Nice dreamy sound.

    Unfortunately, it sounds like a Kiss of Life song mixed with ILLIT’s “Magnetic”.

    Idk, maybe they’ll push a more targeted identity next time.

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  24. Unlike many people here, my expectations were middling. It’s nice to hear this song have some character but they gotta have to stand out more if the team wants to be big.

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      • Exactly! The debut song is basically the most important to establish the artist.
        Honestly I am starting to hate where k-pop is right now; was expecting more especially from SM, since they don’t push the ‘US chart’ agenda as much as HYBE.
        It’s true that Aespa also didn’t put out an absolute smash with Black Mamba, did they… but then they totally smashed it with “Next level”.
        So maybe the next songs will be better… I really hope so.

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      • The entire team behind the song is western. FLO (UK girl band) co-wrote this song and most likely the song was written for FLO. I went to check the credits because I wanted to understand who was behind this song. Kenzie is a co-producer as she most likely put some touches, but this isn’t likely to be ‘Kenzie’s making’. And I LOVE Kenzie’s work by the way.

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  27. Honestly it is so disappointing to see SM doing this dreamy school girl minimalist vocals type of music. But I have a pretty significant pro-SM bias, so I like this song more than others that are similar. SM seems to care more about music than other companies, considering that they generally have skilled vocalists and make more unique musical choices. I’m hoping this means that they won’t just give subdued trend-following music to this group and we’ll eventually see something more interesting. But that could just be wishful thinking.

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  28. Typically SM! Extremely sophisticated, almost cold.

    I felt deliciously lost in this bass line in 5+3, the vocal harmonies, the displaced flow. This is so daring for a debut track! KENZIE and the crew did a fantastic job again.

    Alas! I find the voices bland (maybe due to the art direction) and i’m not convinced by the bridge, that is too conventional for such a song.

    The Chase is very from today in this style, but way better than many other close works. Congrats!

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  29. I have to say, this has really grown on me. The chill vibe and washed out tonal colors reminds me in a weird way of one of my favorite French albums from the 90s, Etienne Daho’s sun-kissed Eden.

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  31. I was definitely disappointed at first, but the song quickly clicked and it’s been on repeat for a while now. I also maybe had lower expectations since I forgot that this was a debut from the big SM. The harmonies definitely do most of the heavy lifting, and I’m weak towards any prominent baseline, especially the way it rises and changes in the chorus. Combining the chorus hook with the prechorus for the final chorus definitely beefs it up too, and it’s probably the best part of the song for me.

    8.75 (8,9,9,9)

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