Back in the mid-2010s, there was a micro-trend of big, brassy girl group tracks — no doubt inspired by global megahits like Jessie J’s Bang Bang. I didn’t appreciate this sound as much as I should have in the moment, but looking back it was a great opportunity for K-pop’s girl groups to bring the bombast — especially when it comes to vocals.

KIIRAS debuted early this year on the back of a current global trend: country music. The balance of that song felt off to me, but the group showed potential that more fully blooms on Bang Bang!. Most notably in our current K-pop climate, the song lets the girls actually sing. In this way, its brassy bounce recalls those mid-2010s hits. Nearly every melodic moment is turned into a confident riff, spotlighting KIIRAS as a vocal powerhouse to watch.

With this said, Bang Bang isn’t quite there for me yet. The mix is a bit overcluttered with sounds when it should be doing everything it can to support its biggest musical moments. The strutting chorus deserves full attention, yet the arrangement sets the girls’ vocals at equal strength as the instrumental. This forces them to compete with tinnier sounds and softens the power of their performance. Even so, this is a nice step forward for the group. I hope it will help establish a unique niche for them within the industry.

Grade: B