Boy group ASC2NT has been around for almost two years and they’re finally releasing something longer than a single album. They’ve been hit or miss for me, but last year’s Don’t Move was a slinky highlight and its b-sides proved the group’s mettle as vocalists. It’s become more and more rare to hear idols actually sing these days, so ASC2NT could carve out a nice niche for themselves by fully embracing melody.
That seems to be a tall order for today’s K-pop producers, so I’m not surprised that Still Rose plays things safe. The song is fully sung, thank goodness, but keeps things pretty close to the ground rather than shooting for the sky. The percolating electro groove underlines the song with a satisfying texture, complimenting the guys’ clear voices. I’m a bit underwhelmed by the simplicity of the chorus, but there are some nice flourishes here and there that elevate the song. The second verse is a mess, falling into too many unneeded structural tropes. However, the bridge offers a nice shot of drama. They’d do well to use this segment as a template for everything else going forward.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
Grade: B-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
will there be a buried treasure for ive?
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Can you shut up about it?
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it’s just the second time i’m asking. it’s nick’s choice whether to reply or not, certainly not yours.
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I’m sorry, not trying to be mean.
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Your comment as a bit rude to me, I’m sorry too.
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Possibly? I don’t know yet.
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While listening, I was thinking three things at the same time:
1) do I remember who is Asc2nt? which I look at and think Ascent which makes me promptly misspell them as Asc3nt.
2) what is a “Still Rose” that they keep saying? Am I still rose, being the continuing ongoing state of being a rose? …. still pondering this one.
3) whoever programmed that percolating synth did one heck of a good job because those sounds lift the entire song. Then did us all a favor by mixing it to the front for the chorus. Funny, it is shifted to the back then shifted to the front then to the way way back, then back to the front. That is about all the dynamism happening in the song, and it does a good job at it.
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