A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
As is often the case with SF9 albums, their new Love Race packs stronger b-sides than its title track. In particular, there’s a run of three dance tracks (Side By Side, Waruru, No No No) that represent a core pillar of their sound. Any of these could have been promoted, though I understand why they went for a different sound when picking their title.
When trying to choose a buried treasure, I waffled back and forth between Waruru and No No No. I like the strange, repetitive hook of the former, but ultimately No No No‘s classic sound was always going to appeal to me most. The song doesn’t do anything particularly unique or special, but its surging beat and brassy accents offer a straightforward momentum that’s very satisfying. SF9’s airy vocals suit this style well. The chorus actually reminds me of their label-mates CNBLUE, though fused to a dance beat rather than a rock anthem. Apart from that comparison, No No No‘s delivery is very 2nd/3rd gen — even climaxing in a Beast-like power vocal. It’s good comfort food.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The headline writes itself: No No No is a Yes Yes Yes.
LikeLike
Well, actually, Yonghwa from CNBLUE is one of the composers of the song, so yeah hahaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow! I didn’t even see that. I guess I should really start trusting my ear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Personally I think Waruru is the best track. I understand why Love Race is the title track, but Waruru felt the strongest and is the one that sticks in my head.
LikeLike
Side By Side, Waruru, and No No No were the three tracks I downloaded from the album. Nice to have some new SF9 music!
LikeLike
I really enjoyed SF9’s last two albums, so I’m not surprised this album is just as good. Their discography (that I’m still getting through lmao) is too good. Makes me sad how underappreciated their music is.
Anyways. I wanted to ask if you’ve heard abt a new gg that’s debuting in the summer named AtHeart? Apparently, a director who used to work at SM is managing this grp at his own company and I was wondering if you could rank their pre-debut single, Good Girl (AtHeart)? Thanks! ❤
LikeLike
I haven’t listen to any of sf9’s albums so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this one. No no no stood out as the best song to me
I feel that because some groups had throwaway albums when I first got into kpop I tend delve in less than I should
LikeLike