Beyond a return to fantastic songs, the number one aspect I’ve been missing in current girl groups is energy. STAYC’s Bebe managed to overcome a spoken-word chorus through sheer, explosive verve, proving that a blazing dance beat can make up for so-so melodies. The same can be said about Kep1er’s new Japanese single Yum. Even though much of the song is mired in frustrating sing-talk, it touches greatness every so often.
I want to being with Yum‘s most exciting moment. The first half of its chorus, when the girls’ voices are layered into a mighty wall of sound, perfectly compliments the explosive instrumental. We just don’t hear these peaks of drama anymore, and this segment instantly brings me back to the days of Kara and Nine Muses. Had the entire track followed this template, we’d be talking about an easy song-of-the-year candidate. Unfortunately, this flash of brilliance remains somewhat elusive throughout Yum.
Most of the song is pre-occupied with the kind of “talking over the track” fierceness that’s long since lost most of its bite. Yum‘s verses and repetitive post-chorus are major missed opportunities to develop something more unique and timeless. Still, I’ll circle back to my opening comment about energy. The sheer intensity of the production keeps Yum engaging despite its shortcomings. It’s similar to (ALL)HOURS’ Gimme Gimme in this way, and this is a trend I’d love to see continue throughout 2025 (with better songs, of course).
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Well at least it is memorable and elicits an emotional response from me. That it is memorable and emotional in the “not me likey the dental drill effect it has on my ears” is moot. The song is on my radar.
Funny, I had Kara come around on the ipod shuffle last weekend. We are miles away from the energy of “Step” and the awesome key change of “Lupin”.
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honestly, I can ignore the verses and post-chorus because of just how good the one pre-chorus, chorus and bridge are. I do agree with everything you said (maybe not the BEBE part.)
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yeah I can see myself listening to this one for that chorus section alone. sounds chunky, and wish there was more done with that
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Nick, have you considered doing a Bite-Sized Album review for Snuper’s Rain of Mind or SHINee’s Everybody?
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I actually like the post chorus it acts as a good counter point to the chorus. This track could definitely use a better first verse; sing talk is fine but make it memorable
I generally don’t listen kep1er but every now and again they have a song I repeat for around month
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rlly im just excited to hear an honest to god baile funk song in kpop
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Preach. I want baile funk to be the next trend that kpop follows.
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lowkey it reminds me of club classics by charli xcx
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This is so bonkers. I love the Iconopop chorus with the T-ARA N4 post-chorus. As a Kep1er fan, I’m so happy to see them go outside the box (and outside the box set) with this.
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this is such an exciting song…. im REALLY not a kep1er fan (nothing against the girls, I just hate most of their musical output lol) but this is on repeat for me. That chorus is amazing every single time and those SYNTHS !!! It’s a short song, so I don’t mind the sing-talking that much, as it goes by pretty quickly. I do wish it had a bombastic bridge to complement that amazing chorus and, well, more singing…. but, still a good effort from the group.
But, because the chorus is the main star of the show, I’ll probably get sick of the song quite quickly.
Hooks: 9
Production: 9
Longevity: 7
Bias: 9
= 8.5
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I hope their next Korean title track sounds like this, because Tipi-Tap was not for me.
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The production feels so full, crunchy, and satisfying…yum!!
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Love it! Charli XCX on steroids. I actually wished the new Lady Gaga sounded more like this.
this is amazing. I want the Korean version and an extra minute!
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