Thus far, BABYMONSTER have followed the tried and true YG Entertainment formula, releasing a bunch of seemingly disparate digital singles eventually cobbled together into a mini or full album. This new comeback feels much more typical of K-pop: a title track and a few new b-sides. They’re not even tacking their summer single Hot Sauce onto the tracklist (probably for the best, honestly).
New single We Go Up features a cabal of co-writers with a few new names in the bunch. This made me curious for a bold new sound that never quite materializes. The song is a relatively standard hype, “I’m so badass” hip-hop banger, adding to YG’s already deep well of performative badassery. Its bombastic, brassy production reminds me of another recent track within this wheelhouse. We Go Up has a more fleshed out chorus, but lacks the memorable dynamics between segments that help its story unfold. It’s solid all the way through, yet often perfunctory.
With this said, We Go Up is probably the best blend yet of BABYMONSTER’s vocal and rap skills. Each side gets a chance to shine, though stronger melodies could tease out the group’s solid vocal line more effectively. I could do without the many English lyrics as well. They feel too generic and these kind of songs are at their best when they’re specific and weird. However, the dramatic production fires on all cylinders, especially when incorporating rock elements. I imagine there’s a very cool stage mix being prepared right now for the year-end shows that’ll easily bump this up a few notches.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Sounds like a suitable song for K-Pop Demon Hunters or Descendants!
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I like the hard-hitting bass and the synths remind me of EXO’s History!
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Omagashh I sound like I’m obsessed with this song but I swear the entire album just screams BIGBANG
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Not as good as forever but still pretty cool. My favorites are the rap and chorus
8.25/10 (8, 9, 8, 8) for me
(also current thoughts on the manifesto by gorillaz, trueno, and proof)
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Yeah the song structure could highlights each member rap and vocal abilities, but I wish YG producer could arrange it to blend more naturally.
Opening the song with powerful rap shooting left & right for almost 1 minute just do not make it enjoyable. I guess they arrange it that way to make performance in stage later.
The latter part of the song is quite good though, the melodic chorus is quite catchy and Ahyeon high note delivered as always.
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Not a single empty chorus on the entire album… I have prayed for times like these.
I genuinely enjoyed the song, as well as the album, and I’m happy they’re pursuing this sound over the more languid RnB bsides they’ve had in the past. My biggest complaint is the more generic structure of a lot of the songs (and some of the lyrics), but I can overlook that thanks to the energy. Even the more laidback Supa Dupa Love has enough energy in the chorus to avoid feeling languid.
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This is pretty good, somewhere between FOREVER and REALLY LIKE YOU…I haven’t heard the other songs yet…always hoping they get songs that are as great as they are (because they’re pretty great IMHO)…8/10 👍👍
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Tbh this is “more boring” version of Rich Man.
K-pop music nowadays making experimental musics that are not “experimentaling”.
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I mean “K-pop labels nowadays”
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Wow, has kpop ever been this boring?
An 8 for this? Dire times bros, dire times…
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Baemon did their thing with this one. That instrumental took me back.
I simply don’t understand the comment about “generic English lyrics.” Some of those rap bars were solid. Plus let’s be real…Kpop is branching out to an international audience and you need some English to flourish.
8/10 seems right
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While it’s solid, I found it too generic. The lyrics were meaningless to the point of being somewhat unbearable, but hey, that’s commonplace these days. The vocals and rapping made it entertaining, and I wouldn’t mind listening to it in the background while doing other things. It’s a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me.
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