Tempest have pinballed between sounds and concepts, often making hard swerves from light to dark and back again. Their best music succeeds on memorable melodies and unflagging energy. New single In The Dark jettisons the latter to place all its attention on the former.
Sometimes I want to be a fly on the wall in K-pop agency meetings to see what goes into the process of picking a title track. Judging from the album’s highlight medley, the group have a huge banger hit in the form of b-side Nocturnal, but they’ve opted for something far more subdued and sentimental. In The Dark doesn’t sound like anything else out at the moment, and that’s to its credit. However, its softness and unassuming nature may get lost in the shuffle.
There’s a pleasant grace to In The Dark‘s sound. It’s like watching a lyrical, modern dance routine when everyone around you is leaning hard into hip-hop. But for this to work, the song needs to be operating at 120%. I’m talking knock-your-socks-off melodic payoff and a performance that stops you in your tracks. In The Dark simply settles for “nice.” It shimmers and wafts and the guys perform it well enough, but by the time the song has finished there’s not much impact left in its wake. This is even true when taking into account its unique, cinematic music video that offers added lore and striking imagery.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
What the hell is going on in the video? That left an impression.
Oh right, the song. Song is fine, basic moody mid-tempo that doesn’t leave much of an impression.
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I read the video as a satire of trainee life.
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speaking of In The Dark, what do you think of the new Selena Gomez song of the same name released a few days ago?
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7C8UDGdGLbA
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I think it’s a pleasant nostalgia trip. Nothing super memorable, but nice.
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It was love at first listen for me. Very pleasant to my ears. It’s Autumn, leaves are changing colors, falling slowly, weather is crisp…this is absolutely perfect for my mood these days🙃
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This paints a picture I like.
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I feel basically the same about this track as you do. I’m glad you brought up that video because it’s been a while since one actually kept my attention 100%
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I listened to the album before I knew what the title track was and I absolutely thought nocturnal was the title track. In The Dark is pleasant (although the mv is …. questionable), but nocturnal is so good. Definitely worth a listen if it peaked your interest!!
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The more I listen to this the more I like it. I’ve watched the live stage and the choreography is unusual for a boy group. I think the choreographer must have a background in contemporary dance. The movements are quirky but lovely.
As for the mv, I don’t know what’s going on exactly, but it all seems scarily similar to the experiences of trainee life.
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