Since their 2023 debut, WHIB have alternated between lighter and darker sounds. For me, they were at their best in 2024 when they felt a rush of joy, but that rush proved fleeting as they quickly moved into the more aggressive Bang Out. New single Rock The Nation has a delightfully earnest title that made me hope for some cheesy, guitar driven anthem. Maybe even something Def Leppard adjacent? What we get instead is decidedly less light on its feet.

Oh, boy. If you enjoy the sound of someone smacking a metal trash can and shouting nonsense to the sky, this song will be for you. There are times when the beat becomes more sprightly and the track even briefly clears the air for a vocal-led bridge, but the vast majority of Rock The Nation is the same tired boy group bluster we’ve been subjected to since groups like Stray Kids and NCT started leading the K-pop trends. Imagine how tired we are.

The thing is, there’s not much “song” here. The chants are monotone and repetitive, delivered over lurching production that sucks the joy from the production’s bombast. You can’t tell me this topline took more than five minutes to write. With stronger, more memorable hooks this style of track can actually be a lot of silly fun. Everyone deserves a good scream-along anthem. Sadly, this ain’t it.

Grade: D-