Unless I’m forgetting someone, we have our first debut of 2026 with project group Latency. However, this is more like a re-debut for most members. This band consists of familiar faces (Loossemble’s Hyunjin and cignature’s Jeewon, Semi and Haeun), reinventing idols as rockers. Today, we get the first taste of their music via digital single It Was Love (사랑이었는데).
I’m not surprised to see an act like this emerge, especially as groups like QWER have proven so popular with Korean listeners. It Was Love takes a straightforward approach, offering a gentle band sound with pleasant melodies. It’s slightly louder than coffeehouse, yet lacks the powerful drive you might expect from a band. The exception to this occurs right before the song’s final chorus as an exciting guitar solo takes hold. I would have loved to hear more of this fire throughout the rest of the song, as too much of It Was Love comes across as a pleasant throwaway.
Charmingly, the song lacks some of the polish we’ve come to expect from K-pop. It’s unveiled through a bare bones “live” clip and the vocals sound pretty unadorned. Perhaps this is why the production also feels so stripped back. It really does have a “project” feel to it, as if some friends came together to write a song and excitedly release it to the world.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Oh bless their hearts. I wish them the best of luck with this pivot. Bands are hot right now, the QWER sound is hot too. Their other songs online also mimic the vocal stylings of Younha and Yunmin (of TOUCHED, she who is the winningest idol Masked Singer ever).
(Side comment: the name? “Latency”, meaning hidden, except in American English it usually has a negative connotation like delinquency.)
The song is okayish. It really needed that key change, and that guitar solo, because the rest of it is basic mid-tempo kpop girl group a la about 2019, like a CLC or cignature from whence some of them came.
That said, and I risk the wrath of the keyboard warriors when I say this, Imma gonna bet that the girls didn’t play those instruments on the recording. What I am seeing in the video and what I am hearing don’t match in levels of skill. There is a fluidity in movement that more experienced musicians have. Look, I grew up with the Go-go’s. They started out … rough … but they did eventually get it together and got sober and clean and rocked the 80’s. I hope with time and more practice the same success happens for these young ladies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was also staring at their hands the whole video, like, hmmm, are they really playing what I’m hearing?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad I wasn’t the only one wondering about the “live” playing in the vid!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe they recorded it sitting down and bit by bit, there’s a lot of footage of them rehearsing and getting better at the same parts even if they’re still on the raw side (aside from fingerstylish_ and her master’s in guitar performance)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw it explained that “Latency” refers to the period of delay before you hear a sound (in audio). Which I think is clever for a group that consists of people whose careers have been “delayed” up to this point
LikeLike
As with many words in English, latency can have several meanings. Another one in photography and chip manufacture is “latent image” which is the hidden image before the substrate is developed. Or delay in file processing as my computer is trying to sync with the backup disk.
Used here, its the type of name they come up in kpop by consulting a dictionary. Its just … I mean … there are worse names in kpop, but it doesn’t really work for me.
LikeLike
Decent but I still like QWER’s material better, but I’m glad to see Hyunjin re-debut nonetheless
Same rating as you
LikeLike
hey i really dig this… love the piano keys throughout and the chord progression is a classic. it’s also good not to hear perfectly polished vocals for once in a song, the roughness really adds to the rock vibe. it’s a hit for me, easy 8.5, might go up, we’ll see.
LikeLike
i actually like this way more than i thought! laid back but still has some some stand out moments, like the guitar solo and the raw vocals. some parts sound almost vaudeville? jangle pop? not sure what’s most accurate but whatever that sound was that was popular in alt pop rock in the early 2010s
im not sure about hyunjin and the cignature girl’s proficiencies in their instruments but from what i read heeyeon has been playing guitar for 15 years so im very excited to hear more music from them 😀 wonder girls weren’t the most technically skilled musicians when they converted to a band but they still had an amazing output so i’m very optimistic for the latency girls
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked it more than I thought I would. Still find the concept change from happy Boobawon to a moody Zztopone weird.
LikeLike
Mostly goes in one ear and out the other, but I very much appreciated the vocals, guitar solo, and key change. Those alone can’t save something that simply don’t have the hooks to be memorable. Thing with QWER, TOUCHED, DAY6, or Xdinary Heros is they have a signature sound. I don’t think Latency showed enough of a calling card here, and I think that is so much more important for a band than just a pop group, whose visuals, choreo, or even interesting MV can help prop them up.
Thinking to some successful bands I’ve liked outside of Korea as well, they all have a very clear signature: Yellowcard has their fiddle guy. Billy Talent has their signature emo-grunginess. Coheed and Cambria had their standout high pitched vocalist.
I’m hoping part of Latency’s signature is meaty guitar solos, key changes, and raw, unadorned vocals, but they are going to need at least one more IT factor item I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person