Review

Song Review: ITZY – Tunnel Vision

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ITZY released a strong single this spring with Girls Will Be Girls, but that album’s club-heavy b-sides pointed toward an even more promising avenue for the girls. Their charismatic performance style feels perfectly suited to the kind of talk-heavy dance music that’s currently in vogue and I’m surprised they didn’t release that kind of title track this time around.

Instead, the group opted for the (insert sighing emoji) Dem Jointz produced Tunnel Vision. Dem Jointz’s beats have been everywhere this year and as someone who doesn’t enjoy his production style it’s become a bit frustrating. He does his thing again here, overstuffing the track with tinny percussion and favoring a fitful approach that minimizes the opportunity for Tunnel Vision to build momentum. To its credit, the song isn’t actively annoying and this style works pretty well for ITZY, but very little of it feels fresh or exciting.

While I appreciate the lower end of this instrumental, its thudding nature doesn’t clear the way for dynamic melody. Because of this, Tunnel Vision is fashioned together by shards of sing-talk. Its chorus strains to be anthemic but the hook is too anemic to soar in any way that might be triumphant. Instead, the tight layering of ITZY’s vocals attempts to convince us that the song is bigger than it actually is. Ultimately, the sound is too predictable and cynical to come close to the group’s best work.

Hooks 7
 Production 7
 Longevity 8
 Bias 7
 RATING 7.25

Grade: C

12 thoughts on “Song Review: ITZY – Tunnel Vision”

  1. I genuinely cannot stand dem jointz anymore. There is an incredible song behind this and its just not there.

    Not even sure why this song is 3 minutes long if there is absolutely 0 climax. How does “Girls will be Girls” have a FAR better climax when its even shorter? The last chorus desperately needed something different than the first 2 and it had…nothing different.

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  2. Not that bad, the chorus is good, I like the beat here, experimental, but doesn’t verge into the obnoxious kind of experimental, it serves as a decent spiritual successor to their Girls Will Be Girls album.

    8.25 (8, 9, 8, 8) for me.

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  3. Ok but why nobody speaks about the “way they say”work, work, work” part? It’s exactly sounds like Dirty Work but with only 3 works.

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  6. Artists I follow more closely get the album review from me.

    Album Review:

    Focus: Obv not a full song, but more of a primer for the soundscape to expect. I think it works for most of the tracks on offer. For these short things I love when they use interesting sounds and keep to one or two ideas. I think this pulls it off. no rating.

    Tunnel Vision: There’s actually a lot to like here, but the arrangement and production strings tying things together are not quite there. The lack of build def drags it down. The sound matches born to be era, if not as good as the born to be tracks. 9,6,7,9=7.75

    DYT: Reminds me of Locked N Loaded overall. The structure makes me think of Nmixx’s recent “Rico” as it jumps often to small segments each with their own flavor. 8,8,8,9 = 8.25

    Flicker: I typically like when Itzy goes brattier rather than breathier, but songs like Mr Vampire and Imaginary Friend prove they can do these songs too. Honestly, on my first listen I wondered if this would be a better fit for Illit than Itzy, but on re-listens I think it maintains an Itzy vibe but I still maintain lots of this song have an Illit sound to the vocal and obviously with the electronic beeps and boops. 7,8,7,9 = 7.75

    Nocturne: The hooks aren’t as immediately memorable here, but the song has such a nice flow to it and it is so nice to listen to. Could be more memorable, but I like it as a Bside and when listening to the album all together. 7,9,8,9=8.25

    8-bit Heart: This is the kind of song I would normally eat up, but there’s so much monotone speak singing that is supposed to (I think) culminate in the moment of melodic release during the bridge, but everything is so scattered I don’t think the moment really works. In fact, I don’t know if it works completely as a full cohesive song. Maybe it’ll take more listens. 8,6,7,8 = 7.25

    Album Score: 7.75

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    • these are pretty much my thoughts exactly! i would give tunnel vision and flicker anything between 7.25-7.75, perfectly listenable tracks but not ones i would likely ever come back to. DYT and nocturne made it to my playlist on first listen, 8-bit heart unfortunately didn’t go in the direction i was hoping but im curious if itll grow on me so will definitely be coming back to check

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  9. their most interesting title in a long while for me.. the last i really enjoyed was cheshire. i would’ve liked girls will be girls if it wasn’t so repetitive.

    this concept was a long time coming for them, like i expected this after weapon, which isn’t really “their” song in a sense, but seeing at the audience feedback, they should’ve went for a song like that. i felt like a racecar / mad max dark concept has suited them forever, especially as they got older. i wanted more music like kill shot and finally! some crumbs! 

    this song is kinda like an itzy version of aespa hyperpop, which isn’t a bad thing! they have enough in their discography for this album to feel like a natural evolution of itzy. it’s the “work work work” for me. i actually like the chorus cause we finally have words??? it’s still missing an extra X factor. instrumentation is a little outdated here and there. post-chorus could’ve bit fiercer to match the anthem vibes. that strange instrumental segment in the intro tickles my brain and i wish it was more prominent.

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