Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post.
I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: a 0.5 shift here, a 0.25 shift there. But, it’s a fun way to keep track of how my feelings on songs have changed over time – as well as which tracks currently have momentum on my playlist.
And remember, just because a song is marked as a “faller” doesn’t mean I hate it! Falling from a “9” to an “8.75” is no shame. 9+ rated songs occupy a totally different playlist in my music library, so I’m pretty particular about what qualifies. It’s a high bar.
This month’s feature covers the period from February 18th to March 17th.
RISERS
Hearts2Hearts – The Chase
Rating: 7.25 → 8 *Biggest Riser*
NMIXX – Know About Me
Rating: 8 → 8.25
NouerA – N.I.N (New Is Now)
Rating: 9 → 9.25
8TURN – LEGGO
Rating: 7.25 → 7.5
FALLERS
G-Dragon – Drama
Rating: 8.25 → 8 *Biggest (only) Faller*
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Damn, what a big rise for The Chase! Ngl, didn’t expect the NMIXX and NouerA songs to rise, quite the opposite imo. But well, a matter of preferences methinks :p And btw, in your weekly rankings, you put 3WAY’s debut below the Lisa and H2H songs, so I assumed it fell for you. Did it also had that Gimme Gimme arc, but the opposite or what? 🤡
Anyways, here are my risers:
1. The Chase (Hearts2Hearts): 7.25 (7, 8, 7, 7) to 7.75 (7, 8, 8, 8)
2. ExtraL (Jennie ft. Doechii): 7.5 (7, 8, 8, 7) to 8.25 (8, 8, 9, 8) *biggest riser*
3. N.I.N (New Is Now) (NouerA): 8.75 (8, 9, 9, 9) to 9 (all 9)
4. Know About Me (NMIXX): 7 (7, 7, 8, 6) to 7.5 (8, 7, 8, 7)
5. Air (Yeji): 8.5 (8, 9, 8, 9) to 8.75 (8, 9, 9, 9)
6. Blue (ZB1): 8.75 (9, 8, 9, 9) to 9 (9, 8, 9, 10)
A little change in individual aspects cause why not? :p
The Stranger (ONF): 9.25 (9, 10, 9, 9 to 10, 9, 9, 9)
Fallers:
Baby, Not Baby (Seulgi): 8.75 (8, 9, 9, 9) to 8.5 (8, 9, 8, 9) *biggest (only) faller*
With VVV and N.I.N now tied with 9.25 and having the highest rated song of this year so far, the contenders for SOTY sounds very promising (unless TWS or Riize comes with a bigger banger than hey! hey! or Impossible 🤡)
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Dammit, silly Anna, forgot to mention Too Bad by G-Dragon and Shalala by SAYMYNAME as fallers too.
Too Bad: 8.5 (8, 9, 8, 9) to all 8 *actual biggest faller, sorry Seulgi*
Shalala: 8.5 (9, 8, 9, 8) to 8.25 (9, 8, 8, 8)
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The Riser is ZB1’s BLUE. Prechorus and chorus heaven🥰
Last year, Good So Bad and Riize’ Impossible were not “love at first listen”, but grew so much on me that both ended on my Top 20 list. I have a feeling this one will too.
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Where does VVV come into this then? I noted you said you think it might rise but it hasn’t here and won’t the next one after the cut off point? Just curious about where that one will land that’s all.
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I’m as curious as you are! It’s still too early to tell. You know how ridiculously serious I am about my 9+ rated songs! Moving up on that scale takes time.
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I figured the chase would be a riser, not by that much though. What changed?
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Repetition. I still consider it one of (if not the) weakest SM debut singles, but having heard it over and over the vibe finally connected with me.
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I don’t have much to comment on. I didn’t have any songs rated 9 this month unlike Nick but let’s see how far this goes. Maybe later VVV and Over N Over will grow with me
RISERS
The Boyz – VVV
Rating: 8.25 → 8.75
NTX – Over N Over
Rating: 8 → 8.5
FALLERS
Le Sserafim – Hot
Rating: 8 → 7.75
J-Hope – Mona Lisa
Rating: 7.25 → 7
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JYP Still Has None – Zero Clue What to Do with NMIXX
It really does feel like JYP doesn’t know what to do with NMIXX. Right now they lack a cohesive and unifying identity. From their disastrous debut, dubbed the worst kpop debut according to western media outlets to Fe3O4 Breaker, their sound, concept, identity, vocals have been a total mess. From starting out with Mixxpop, to abandoning it to picking it up again.
First, let’s go over their music and to be fair – it’s bad. The lack of instrumentals in a lot of their songs forces the girls to oversing. Usually they oversing each other drowning each other in their own songs. They also like to add unnecessary and obnoxious embellishments. Just give me a straight tune please. Their choruses really do feel empty. For example why are there no high notes in their choruses? Why is it always the same boring beat i.e. Sonar, Love Me Like This and now Dash. The members also lack identifiable and distinguishable vocal colors. Everyone sounds the same especially when they sing together. For example in New Jeans Super Shy, each member equally contributes to the quality of sound of the song. No one is singing over each other. No one is adding any embellishments to the track. No one sounds better than anyone else. And it super easy to tell who is singing for each part. It also helps that the members are all very beautiful. Not to mention their Change Up part is highly reminiscent of New Jeans unique sound – easy-to-listen-to and it really does seem JYP was copying New Jeans again.
Secondly, I feel their choreography to be really messy. There is no “fun” so to speak when you dance to NMIXX or even dance NMIXX dances. For example, their main dancer Kyujin puts too much motions when she dances. Her expressions are often very cringe and I feel like she is trying too much and trying too hard. She is not winning any potential fans with her overblown moves and facial expressions. Also I question JYP’s reasoning to putting someone with such a young age as your main dancer as well as giving her too many lines in their title tracks. It does seem JYP is compensating the loss of Jinni with Kyujin, so far it has not lived up to their investment. Either NMIXX needs to disband and redebut to get a true solid footing.
Thirdly, their song selections…are choices. As I mentioned before, western media outlets have called NMIXX debut’ the worst kpop song in history and they are not wrong. The reception of NMIXX debut was overwhelmingly negative and well deserved. JYP should have addressed the plagiarism and copying from Ateez, Loona, New Jeans, enhypen, etc. If it was obvious to me as well as other fans, then it should have been obvious to JYP. None of their music stood out in 2022. And let’s be real MIXXXPOP is trash music. There is nothing inherently creative with MIXXPOP. JYP needs to abandon this concept and just give NMIXX good songs. As mentioned before their change up in dash was neither creative nor unique, it’s a rip off New Jean’s Y2K aesthetic and UK garage sound. It didn’t do them any favors at all, it was jarring and dissonant in O.O and it is still confusing in DASH.
Fourth, None of the members are able to display any noticeable perception that seduces you. They are not passionately looking into your soul by staring at the camera and inviting you with their eyes. They are not exhibiting friendliness nor passion with you with any of their gestures and they are not interacting with you at all. When they sing, they also do not smile and their facial features look strained and painful. And the way they sing with their mouths is unpleasant to look at. Idols should be able to hypnotize you with their star quality or star power, something NMIXX clearly lacks.
In conclusion JYP just needs to give NMIXX good songs that fits their vocal abilities. Copying many groups doesn’t create an identity nor a concept. Rather it tarnishes an identity. They tend to sing too much and in the wrong places betraying the Easy-To-Listen-To concept. Their choreography lacks synchronization and cohesiveness. And their main dancer is doing too much as if she has something to prove. Their songs are not good, they are terrible as seen as in the lack of unity between their songs. No 2 of their songs sound alike causing their albums to sound disjointed and question why this one particular song on here is. NMIXX could do better but unfortunately that ship has sailed since the rise of 5th gen girl groups have already passed.
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No one asked.
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Oh dear, there is no need to hide your burning desire to become the exclusive producer for NMIXX anymore!
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brother are you stuck in 2022 or something?
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