A.C.E’s Kang Yuchan signed with from20 and Hello Gloom’s Way Better agency, joining a boutique line-up of solo male artists. It’s been fun watching this agency grow, though they have not been without their missteps. A set of ill-advised teaser photos for this very track had to be yanked off the internet as fans complained about their strange use of the American flag, and the overall concept behind Champagne Poppin seems built on some messy tropes.
I know Way Better were never going to stick strictly to synth pop and dance music, but that early run of from20 and Hello Gloom singles remain so exciting and fresh. In contrast, Champagne Poppin feels almost behind the trends. Its soft garage beat has been peddled from about every idol group and soloist you could imagine, and its presence here feels more rote than inspired. Kang Yuchan’s expressive vocals and unique tone work well over the sound and it’s nice to hear him tackle a song on his own, but the track doesn’t really go anywhere. Nor does it scream “this is who I am as a solo artist” in the way I’d hope a solo debut would.
Even the trendiest instrumentals can be boosted by a great set of melodies, and that’s the real problem here. None of Champagne Poppin‘s elements stand out as particularly memorable. The chorus is flat, and while the verses offer some satisfying vocal runs the structure isn’t taut enough to work. The instrumental injects life into these moments with a sense of synth[powered acceleration, but overall this is a rare miss from the agency.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
on an unrelated note, I am so excited for the ateez single drop tonight, all the concert recordings sound so good, but I NEED the studio version ASAP!
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Wow, he’s 6’9″ tall. (The opening, the conversion from meters just didn’t quite work out.) Not a big fan of the rest of the video.
That beat. I am done with that beat. It is this year’s trap. As soon as it starts, I have a visceral response.
The rest of the song is Okayish, but is barely a ground hit single. The lyrics as pronounced sound like “shove it bump it” instead of “champagne popping”, which is perhaps better given the video theme.
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This track is here to kindly (?) remind us that there’s only one overpromising rookie boy group ended worse than Oneus despite winning N survival shows: A.C.E.
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I think it is a fun song but most importantly, it seems like he is having fun with it. He sounds great, his chemistry with the lady is awesome, and I smiled like an idiot while watching the MV. 🥰
Every single one of their latest releases (Summer, Eye Candy, Mamacita, etc) have been growers for me, and I’m pretty sure this will not be an exception. For now 8/10
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All of the A.C.E members are talented but I’ve always felt that Yuchan had the most promise as a Kpop soloist due to his age, visuals, voice, and personality. He definitely needs better material but I think some of that potential comes through here (maybe more due to the MV than the song, which is just all right).
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