There’s a class of mid-range 4th generation groups who have either disbanded or found themselves in a diminished place thanks to K-pop’s fast-moving system. As new generations come up, this is often an inevitable fate for all but the biggest of acts, but ONEUS also must contend with an agency that is having their own problems at the moment. With that in mind, “Grenade” feels like a loaded song title, though I’m sure I’m reading too much into it!

Like during last June’s X, ONEUS is still operating as a four piece. Unfortunately, Grenade doesn’t do much to access their skills. I’m not sure what’s in the water this January, but groups seem to have become allergic to singing. Grenade is the latest in a frustratingly long list of comebacks that are mostly just rhythmic talking (I hesitate to call it “rapping”) over a beat. The instrumental attempts to add some percolating funk to the form, but overall the song flounders. Simply repeating “grenade, grenade, grenade” is the most cynical version of a hook, as if the songwriters don’t trust their audience to pick up on anything beyond the most obvious repetition.

More than anything, Grenade sacrifices any element that made ONEUS unique in the first place. Listening to this right after their 2019 debut Valkyrie would be a depressing exercise and a stark example of how song structure has deteriorated in the search for an easy TikTok hook.

Grade: C-