Modern K-pop has dramatically switched its lyrical focus from external storytelling, centered on the “you” or “they”, to boastful screeds that fully revolve around the “I”. “I’m so badass.” “I’m cooler than anyone else.” “I’m UNIQUE.” This bleeds into the music itself, which is often more combative and hits like a structural punch instead of unfolding as a sequential story. This problematic approach tends to involve much more telling than showing, which is one of the biggest reasons I find so many of these tracks mind-numbingly dull.
P1Harmony’s new title track Unique is a perfect example of this issue. It’s essentially a meaningless platitude — the kind of catchphrase you’d see on a cheap printed children’s t-shirt at a big box store. The guys spend three minutes confidently telling us how unique they are while the song itself sounds anything but. Without an actual display of uniqueness, this concept loses all purpose. It simply spins its wheels, underpinned with percussive-heavy production that could have anchored so many other recent boy group offerings.
Even without all this subtext, Unique just isn’t that fun to listen to. It feels like an over-serious lecture about how cool P1Harmony is. Without engaging the audience on a personal level, there’s no reason to care about what the group thinks of themselves. No amount of “pow pow pow” or “la la la la la” interjections will fix that. By keeping us at a distance, they’ve sacrificed the joy a hype track like this can deliver.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 6 |
| Bias | 5 |
| RATING | 6 |
Grade: D-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The beat is cunty, the song is not and I still yearn for a Scared-esque banger. Still better than Killin’ It, always found the song incredibly obnoxiois.
7.25 (7, 8, 7, 7) for me.
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A shame because I think the first verse works well. It’s got a nice quiet starts that builds into a thrilling pre-chorus, but then everything falls apart.
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Yes, they fail the statement that Tom Jones has often said, that part of his continuing popularity is making it about his audience, about YOU. Not him, but YOU.
Sex bomb sex bomb you’re my sex bomb …
Pussycat pussy cat, you’re so thrilling …
Tom Jones is not the sexy thrilling one (though he kinda is), you are.
This song here today is just vapid noisy boasting. *sigh*
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You are the only one I can possibly imagine who would invoke “What’s New Pussycat” as an example of sex appeal in the context of kpop specifically. As always, your contribution is appreciated
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I left “Delilah” off the list. Why why why do people still like that song?
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For some reason the way they say “Unique” reminds me of Hyolyn’s “Dessert.” Like a lot of P1Harmony songs the part that stands out to me the most is the (usually sung by Theo) prechorus.
For a long time I’ve hoped that they would evolve and change their musical direction. I actually really liked Ex as an album and wondered if they would take a more Western route. But overall what is missing here is a sense of fun. You could always could on them for a slightly irreverent take on Kpop and, well, they were unique for it. But, ironically, this song isn’t unique at all.
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Vocals are nice but god is that chorus atrocious
6.5(6,7,7,5)
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HMM……yeah idek. the whole song feels like a little bit of this and a little bit of that but there’s never any satisfying moments or payoff. theo’s prechorus goes nowhere, the energy picks up ALOT during the last verse only for the song to just cut off, etc. not to mention its always a bummer when a song is so talk-heavy that lead/main vocalists don’t get any singing parts, happened with the nouera comeback as well
its probably like a 7 for me, there’s nothing i hate about it but i don’t want to hear it again
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right??? i feel like they could have really made that dramatic ass prechorus into something cool but the antidrop just doesnt work
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You’re telling me over and over that your crew is unique but this song does nothing to back up the claim ✌️
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The writing teacher in me wants to scream “Support your claim with evidence!” 😂
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😭😭😭😭😭 exactly
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well at least jeongseobs rap was fun
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I’ve even managed to come around to the hyper trendy rage hip-hop a little, but I can’t seem to bring myself to enjoy phonk. It sounds like brainrot music to me. I love the prechorus of this song, though.
I hate to be that dreaded “_____ should have been the title track!!☝️🤓” person, but Pandemonium definitely should have been the title track. It has its issues, but it’s a much stronger song overall (imo).
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this is probably my least favorite p1harmony title track to date, dont hate it but dont love it. Just makes me sad we’re missing out on quality sf9 promotion (new comeback on the 25th!) Cuz FNC is dumping all their money into p1h
6.5/10
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Maybe I could grow to like it, but I’d rather use my energy to listen to Adrenaline for the 100th time.
I liked Duh! and Pretty Boy, and this is such a long road from that. It’s missing a sense of humor.
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man, every time i’m just super impressed with theo’s vocal delivery in their pre-choruses. thats all. baile funk is one of my top genres but this aint it.
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This is awful. And why is there so much English? I’m usually not a stickler for that kind of thing, but jeez!
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It doesn’t come together. There’s a cool song in there somewhere though!
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agree 👍
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I am a proud p1ece and since we know the talent they have and the numerous no skip discography we are blessed with they have all the right to play with their sound I wish you took a true chance on what your missing with P1harmony because you have definitely been a hater since day 1 and I feel with how over saturated you are with hearing it all day in and out if you started from album 1 to now all b sides i guarantee you would be a fan
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LMFAO
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when i heard this for the first time i was MAD. there’s nothing worse than an antichorus that builds to absolutely nothing.
decent material in the prechorus but as with so many recent releases the chorus(ES) fell so flat oh my god its embarrassing.
they have so many good songs too this was incredibly disappointing
nick my goat 🫡
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Literally every bside is better than this
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