RIIZE’s new album has a very strong visual element, with music videos or shortened “track videos” for each song. Because of this (and because the album is so strong), I’ll be working through the entire track list over the next few days. Make sure to check back often!
1. Odyssey // 2. Bag Bad Back // 3. Ember To Solar // 4. Fly Up // 5. Show Me Love // 6. Passage // 7. Midnight Mirage // 8. The End Of The Day // 9. Inside My Love // 10. Another Life
EMBER TO SOLAR
When re-evaluating Bag Bad Back, I mentioned a “classic” SM boy group sound. This particular brew is completely unique to K-pop. In fact, for me it is K-pop to a large extent. Ember To Solar triumphantly draws upon this legacy, crafting an album standout that could easily compete with greats like SHINee and TVXQ.
This approach is heard most clearly on Ember To Solar‘s chorus. You hear it in the staccato delivery of the lyrics, drawing upon the unique charms of the Korean language in a way so few K-pop songs do these days. It’s in the vocal layering, creating a dramatic wall of sound that forges six voices together until they form a completely new texture. And, it’s in Ember To Solar‘s general sense of scope. This isn’t music meant to be enjoyed as “easy listening.” This is an experience.
As an actual song, I’m not yet sure if Ember To Solar can compete with the greats. It’s a bit too dependent on rap and sing-talk, forgoing the chance to lace the track with a series of stronger melodies. But, this is where that patented “SM Performance” sound leaps in to save the day. Even the slightest of hooks sound absolutely towering when painted with all these theatrics. And at its heart, Ember To Solar‘s central hook is very effective. It feels like an invitation to battle — just incredibly rousing stuff.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 10 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
hey nick, have you heard this song by idle? it’s a bside on their new album. i potentially see a buried treasure. it sounds like bonny and clyde but group version. it’s only 2:26 minutes long, but there’s space for a cathartic bridge which im sure will surprise you. ihttps://open.spotify.com/track/6SCiybhUyi8ls3GqenO67F?si=ZC0IR0NcStKT5zZAQfm3UA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4vj008nVDYfO4m75ZT1VBumy rating is 8.75 (8 hooks, 9 production, 9 longevity, 9 bias)
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Yep, I’ve heard it and will probably write about it sometime this week.
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so is it coming as a buried treasure?
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Ember to Solar is a real call to arms type of song – the production is urgent and surging, almost like it’s challenging the boys to race it to the finish line. The boys don’t shy away from this, and the result is a great back and forth between them and the music around them.
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WE NEED SMP BACK!!!! I need my car to shake like it’s about to break. I need to have songs where the melodies, high notes, and instrumental all come together to give me a great time. Though this song might not entirely measure up to the juggernauts, it made me have a sense of excitement that I’ve been missing from kpop. As I’ve said before, should’ve been the title track. I think it embodies the spirit of an Odyssey more than Fly Up.
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I think both songs embody what odyssey means, just different types
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produced by collapsedone! ofc it’s gotta be good
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Pure non stop hype and excitement, that “woah” adlib in the second part of the chorus takes this song to another level
I wish every anthem-y K-pop songs had this kind of depth and melody instead of just made from purely shouting and unfinished rap verse
9.25 (10,9,9,9)
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Song is up there with the SM greats but tbh their vocals aren’t as interesting. They all more or less have the same boyish voice and similar power. Also the finale could have packed a bit more of a punch. Minor complaints. They’re new to me so maybe I need time to appreciate their vocals. Solid 9. I love this type of song!
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just like RIIZING, I love how this album pulled references from the classics (idk if that was the intention of the A&R team). Ember to Solar being the classic SMP style, Show Me Love the 1D style, The End of the Day an SM-style ballad, Inside My Love a Backstreet Boys/Super Junior style song.
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Excellent song that probably belongs to the next Shinee comeback? I mean, like someone mentioned above, seems like SM gave them a popurrí of “SM style” songs that, in my opinion, the other SM groups would perform better because it’s their signature style. They even gave them TVXQ “Hug” a while ago.
Maybe they don’t know what to do with them…who knows what SM is thinking at this point?
PS: these guys are talented enough to pull them off, but like I said in the “Fly up” comment, to me it sounds like a little forced/fake.
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This is absolutely a SHINee signature sound, I could almost hear Jonghyun ad-libbing in the back while Minho whisper-raps something 😭
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This is a big, big, song! I think it’s too early to tell if it’s even competing with the great classics, especially when it dropped yesterday lol. But like everybody says, it definitely has that SM boy group quality and it’s definitely very K-pop sounding.
I gotta confess I wasn’t a fan of the corny and over the top vibes it has (that’s the reason why I don’t often explore second gen groups or third gen groups and the earlier discographies), but I’ll just say the chorus and the brigde are so big, it eventually won me over.
I like it a lot and appreciate what they did in the song production and melody-wise. I think it’s perfect when listening to the album from top to bottom, but like Nick says, for an easy listening track on the go I would choose another one on the album.
But credit where credit it’s due, this is a 9.
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This is the grandest, most SM-esque song I’ve heard in a long time! I love that the bridge doesn’t slow down. Should’ve been the title track!
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Parts of this remind me of TVXQ’s Rising Sun. Energetic yet powerful. The bridge into the final chorus was like the icing on the cake.
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FOR REAL THO
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im in love with this song.
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