In a year already stuffed with competitive boy group debuts, it’s time for another new act. idntt (pronounced “Identity”) is the brainchild of Jaden Jeong, the man behind LOONA, tripleS and ARTMS. The group follows the same interactive system as tripleS, with twenty-four members split into sub-units based on fan input. The agency is also letting fans decide which of idntt’s three debut title tracks becomes the “super title track,” meaning all three music videos have dropped today. I’ll give each a separate post, which might as well be considered my “vote” for the victor.
First up is You Never Met, which was co-written by EL CAPITXN (the guy responsible for my top two songs of last month). Built upon a catchy chant, the song unfolds over a glitchy beat that melds old-school hip-hop with more modern electronic touches. Similar to tripleS’s title tracks, this song feels overly dependent on one repetitive idea and is much more successful when it strays into more adventurous territory. The song ends with a promising melody that I wish had been threaded throughout the entire thing.
At times, You Never Met comes dangerously close to feeling like style over substance, struggling to match its aura with equally addictive melodies. But of all three title tracks, this one has the most bounce. This energy buoys its appeal, especially during the moments surrounding the central sing-song chant. Still, with so many great tracks coming from rookie boy groups this year I’m not sure if You Never Met does enough to stand out.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I do nott care how they think it will be pronounced or what it means, in my mind it stands for I Donut, which is a vastly superior concept. I Donut, its like I Robot but with a cream filling and striped frosting and extra sprinkles. I Donut is the punch line of a Saturday Night Live skit which should exist, in which Sarah Sherman has a donut hat and does the robot while spitting out AI-crafted recipes for donuts.
The song is fighting itself. It tries to lay into a groove but then sets up a competing groove (or three) which do not work together well.
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I absolutely adore everything that tripleS has put out so far (and love LOONA and ARTMS quite a lot), so even though I don’t usually listen to boy groups I felt like I had to check out this new one.
From the three tracks released today, You Never Met works the best for me. It seems like the most developed track, whereas the other two are a bit too laid back and reduced for my taste. At the same time, even though all songs don’t cross the 3 minute mark, they still feel somewhat repetitive and longer than they are. So far, it doesn’t seem like their concept is for me.
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I am late with this comment but NAM JIWOON DEBUTATION!!!!!!
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I like the atmosphere this track sets up. Gets better as it plays out. Could’ve been longer but I’m not mad at where it ended.
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