82MAJOR have made their name on a quirky hip-hop sound that feels more fully-realized than many of their close peers. While none of their songs thus far have stuck on my playlist for long, I admire their consistency and willingness to play around within their genre. Their music is always fun, and that’s no small feat.
New single Takeover continues this trajectory but plays in specific hip-hop circles that are less suited to my taste. Much of the track has heavy trap influence, replacing their usual colorful production with an instrumental that feels much more familiar. This is most evident during the chorus, which drops into a heavy groove as the guys shout a not-quite-catchy hook that comes across as posturing rather than effortlessly cool.
Takeover‘s slick R&B pre-choruses are more successful, but don’t really compliment the rest of the song. 82MAJOR’s sense of fun is relegated to the music video while the actual music feels more dirge-like and menacing. Knowing how the idol industry works makes material like this come across as unconvincing and a little silly. I realize I’m not the target market for a song like Takeover, but this is easily the group’s weakest effort to date.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Wrong tags Nick~
But for the song, watching the teasers, I was a bit worried that it’d just be another moody, trap-filled boy group slop, but luckily, the production has a few tricks up its sleeve that somehow makes the production a bit more engaging like the bass and added percussions in the 1st verse, the sudden switch to a subdued-ish pre-chorus followed by the pre-chorus having elements resembling a fusion of R&B/UK garage (although I agree it lowkey makes a weird switch-up with the song’s trap production) and not to mention, the added synths/keys in the background of the last chorus. While the verses are pretty good, the guys have a good, underrated rap line, I could do without the chanting, but it’s not very obnoxious so somewhat manageable. I also believe the random elements throughout the track (especially 1st verse’s bass and added percussion) could be extended and developed further.
So overall, the track is a mess with potential, and with further developments or a stronger arrangement, could be a fun little standout. Not as solid as Choke and Stuck, but I still vibe with it.
7.5 (6, 8, 8, 8) for me.
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*the sudden switch to a subdued-ish pre-chorus having elements resembling a fusion of R&B/UK garage
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Oops. Thanks for catching that!
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Its fine as long as one counts repeated rap triplets as “flow”.
one-two-three FOUR five-six-six-SEV
and when it changes it just becomes one-two-THREE (pause) four-five-SIX (pause)
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Another track where I knew when you hate it, I’ll probably love it. They’re my fav nugus on the scene rn.
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Could you people please stop calling everything nugu? Thanks.
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Nugu here isn’t even used as an insult, cause 82Major ARE less known, they aren’t at the mid-tier popularity yet (but I’m positive they will gain more recognition down the line) and this is coming from a stan
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I know is not an insult, I never give nugu a negative connotion, but it doesn’t make sense to call nugu a group with their views… Stuck has 11M, now that’s mid tier popularity for a group that debuted a year and a half ago… Nugu is a group that can even reach 1M, for example NTX ot Fantasy Boys.
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I like it, like a lot but I think that’s part of my bias showing. I’ve enjoyed these guys since their pre-debut days and they’re probably my fav of the newer boy groups.
It’s not their strongest effort but it fits within the world of Choke and Stuck. I think they excel in this goofy, fun, cool but not too cool style they’ve settled into. And I always enjoy their rappers, especially since i’m noy a fan of rapping in kpop.
Overall, I think their team is doing a good job with them. Hopefully we’ll get a U.S. tour this year.
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I love these guys.
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