n.SSign’s sole 2025 single Itty Bitty was a sneaky little earworm, slowly rising to become one of my favorite songs of last spring. The guys don’t promote nearly enough for a group of their stature. They still feel like rookies, despite debuting in 2023. New single Funky Like Me was first premiered last month at KBS’s year-end music festival and now we have the studio version and music video.
This song features Peak & Pitch, whose name was new to me. However, I did some research and noticed that these guys used to be part of the band The East Light, which I really loved during their brief stint from 2016-2018. I’m not sure why a group with as many members as n.SSign needs to feature two more, but I’m happy to see the guys getting work and it’s nice to hear their voices again. As its title suggest, Funky Like Me is a funk pop track in the vein of so many other funk pop tracks K-pop’s boy groups have delivered over the years. This one attempts a more throwback approach, driven by big stabs of brass and old-school hip-hop breaks.
I admire the nod to musical history (especially when parts of the vocal hook recall the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive), but I’m not sure the song works as well as it should. It feels more like a jam than a fully-fleshed out pop single, finding one series of hooks and driving them into the ground. There’s no real sense of growth or forward movement. It’s just a pleasant riff repeated over and over again. The song is certainly well-delivered, but I fear this one-note approach will wear thin quickly.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
OK, I see your point, the bass riff starts, real cool, then repeats itself, then proceeds to vamp for almost the rest of the song with its spot in the mix pushed allll the way forward.
That said, I dig this. I wish the brass was real, not a synth, though that synth is well done. The groove actually grooves in a danceable fashion. If I weren’t at my office desk, I would be dancing like a crazy cousin at a wedding reception. The song lends itself easily to a concert with lots of adlibs in both song and dance by the guys. The producers also allowed the chorus to be sung by the chorus, which works so well for performances.
The styling of the video reminds me of Super Junior “Shirt” promotions from back when, another brassy funky song. nSsign add a keytar so I suppose that gets them an extra half a point.
Mid 8’s from me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zfVsSw6QPA
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Key actually had to tell us it was “real brass by the way!” all the way back in the times of Woof Woof…the North remembers…
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I like BOYNEXTDOOR’s “Hollywood Action,” so I ended up enjoying this track too. I can see it getting the crowd hyped at a live show. But the low end is way too thin—I really wish it were thicker and heavier. That’s the part I don’t like.
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The song has potential, but the production is so one-note, I lowkey got confused which one was the chorus. It could have used some bombast, who knew, maybe we might have had a I Really Want You-esque funky banger or just a funkier, jazzier Itty Bitty. It’s too one-note and sadly forgettable
Rating’s the same.
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This song made me so happy. That’s my criteria.
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I kinda like it!
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well, I’m back here after watching one of their super cool music show performance. It’s awesome!! Not sure about longevity, but for now it’s an 8.75
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I still think, Nick, you underrated n.SSign’s Sweetune-produced b-side, Melody. (I don’t think you ever even reviewed it! shame shame shame, lol.) I mean, it’s not a 10, but it’s at least an 8 or 8.5, and would have been a fine Infinite b-side back in the day. And considering that Sweetune’s best songs often give me Bee Gees vibes, I’m enjoying this one as a follow-up to Melody.
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It’s soooo good! I remember adding this to the playlist even before the title track (Wormhole)
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