HYBE has made an aggressive push into the Japanese market over the past few years, both debuting their own J-pop groups and deploying their Korean acts with original material. The latest to join this push is LE SSERAFIM, who previously released Japanese-language versions of their Korean hits. Different marks their first original J-pop track and offers a shot of summertime energy.
More than almost anything they’ve released since 2023, Different reminds me of LE SSERAFIM’s debut era. Many of those songs had a loose, funky energy that fit the group well. I like their vocals against this light dance backdrop. There’s an airiness that’s quite fashionable, but the energetic instrumental keeps it from becoming dull. The production’s blend of rhythm guitar, brassy synth and insistent, bounding percussion makes for an exciting brew. I only wish the song pushed these elements further. HYBE is one of the biggest forces in music at the moment. They have no reason to play things safe.
This extends to Different‘s truncated running time. In another reality, we’d enjoy at least a minute more spread throughout the track, giving Different the chance to actually spread its wings. As it stands, this feels more like a teaser than a song. I wish modern producers understood the value of a bridge and final chorus. There’s absolutely no justification for Different to be this short beyond the choice to maximize its streaming potential. I know the music industry is a business, but this is so obviously a decision that puts money over fans. It’s honestly insulting at this point and prevents me from boosting this otherwise fine song to a higher rating.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Are you going to review Baekhyun’s Chocolate now that it has a video?
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Probably not. I’m sick of writing about his music tbh.
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Fair enough.
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damn 😭 that’s so real
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I guess some of us including me would love for him to at least do something along the lines of Pineapple Slice again haha.
I find Chocolate as the most interesting song of his recent album though.
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yess! pineapple slice was the only one I really listened to for a while — I’d love something like that again
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Hi Nick! I’ve created a virtual (real people, just not physically in contact) kpop inspired girl group on instagram under my label, FOM RECORDS. It’s composed of 9 girls who are passionate about singing that won’t be able to perform their songs together because they come from different countries. I’ve recently published to spotify the instrumental of their debut song, set to release in July. I don’t think it’s your type of song, but I’d like if you could still give me some feedback. https://open.spotify.com/track/4nkHBLcXYrslGyNHpYDTbG?si=q67lCquzSW6r4AtbobplnA&context=spotify%3Asearch.PS: i promise the lyrics wont be about being the richest/baddest 😭
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Here is also BLING BLING (Short Version), which features the chorus. https://youtube.com/shorts/YYLSUD_JUF8?si=TrQM1Vop0zgmvOaf
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Listened to this song and was typing out my thoughts to a friend then it just ended to my audible confusion. I feel like it ended right before it would go into another bridge/chorus or at like at least something. Doesn’t just feel truncated in its brevity, but also in where it ends. I think it sounds ok, I’m inclined to agree with that this sounds most similar to debut era, but I know le sserafim can do so much more than what this was.
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The song’s fine, could be longer.
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the amount of potential wasted in so many kpop songs because they’re well under 3 minutes is very frustrating. i automatically know i won’t love whatever song it is if it’s well under 3 mins, so it’s a quick way to make me not really care for what i’m about to listen to. at the very least, if i do care, it puts a threshold on how far that care can go.
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I’ve only really noticed it with this release, but it seems like the girls are (finally) getting songs that fit their natural voice range now which is definitely an improvement.
For the song itself: As much as I want to give it praise because I do like the chorus this does sound like an unfinished demo.
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Yes I noticed that too! Idk why HYBE/their team can’t give them more songs in their range cause they sound a lot better here
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I was really hoping for a bridge :))))
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I hope and pray that at least by 2027 that the music industry’s annoying vendetta towards bridges can end and peace can be restored again 🕊️
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Have you heard the aespa snippet 😭
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It feels like an lite funk – R&B early 80’s song instrumental with the vocal scraped off, and a duller contemporary lyric put over top. Also, since Itzy is coming back this week too, they had Dalla Dalla which means different different, and that song is just soooo much punchier with declaring their difference than this one is.
Maybe a flat 8 for me. Maybe a tick less.
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Pleasant but short, didn’t expect more than that but still a little underwhelmed. The decision to fill the music video with spiders was certainly a choice though.
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Pretty generic funk song, tbh. I wonder when HYBE is going to give up on their “make song as short as possible” venture… hopefully soon! I have such a strong distaste for this money-hungry, disingenuous strategy that I can’t enjoy any song that is really short for no reason. I always immediately think about how the song producers/writers decided where the song should end, or which parts they decided to remove to make it shorter. It takes the art out of the whole thing and feels a whole lot more like a packaged product (as if the kpop industry could commodify its outputs any further).
But yeah, this song felt super lazy in its effort to be a listenable 2 minute track. I imagine the producers had a fully fleshed-out version of it, and then just cut off the bridge and final chorus. They didn’t even try to make an even slightly satisfying end–it’s just way too abrupt!
3/10 from me 😦
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why does it end so abruptly?? it’s so jarring
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why the hell did they do all those close ups of that arachnid? Vixx did the same thing years ago, I couldn’t watch that video either.
the song is cool, could use more punch. The song ends abruptly but I’m sure I’ll get used to that on repeat listens. It didn’t need to be longer it was starting to get monotonous when it ended
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There is a feeling that you have forgotten about Star Sings and jewelry. Maybe Different is the first Japanese song with a physical album, but they already had original Japanese songs, or am I missing something?
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This is the first Japanese song that LE SSERAFIM are promoting as a single. Choices, Jewelry & Star Signs were all b-sides.
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i like the song it was very good nice I am loving HYBe girl grp song!! Since 3 year ago !! 🌟
i give song 9/10!!
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