Last year, H1-KEY took a more rock influenced turn with their excellent summer mini album Lovestruck. They’ve stuck with many of the same collaborators for its follow-up, beginning to develop a signature sound that spotlights their strong vocals. I’m always happy to hear consistency like this, even if title track To. My First Love (나의 첫사랑에게) isn’t as strong as its predecessor.

Rock music is everywhere in K-pop at the moment, but a song like this has a specific sound that’s often compared to anime opening themes. It’s big, cheerful and anthemic. It reminds me of something early SNSD would have rattled off during an occasional electric guitar moment. Or for a more modern take, you could position it as a “light” version of Dreamcatcher’s oeuvre. For this song in particular, I’m reminded of Korea’s drama OSTs. You can practically see the heroine of the story running down a street in her school uniform.

But unlike 2025’s Summer Was You, the melodies here don’t hit particularly hard. The chorus is effusive and instantly memorable, but that’s largely because it sounds like so many other songs within this specific sub-genre. Meanwhile, the verses employ a nice sense of lift but never capture a melodic structure unique enough to tug at your ear. The song is egged along by barreling percussion and bright guitar line, ensuring the energy never flags. For this alone, To. My First Love is a refreshing entry in 2026’s dull K-pop slate. However, I’m not sure how often I’ll return to it — especially when compared to the group’s past hits.

Grade: B-