New Billlie releases have been hard to come by lately, but the group is about to release their first full-length album. Unfortunately, this rollout has been mired in AI controversy. It feels like I see more news about their agency needing to apologize than about the music itself. Perhaps a glossy performance video is just what the doctor ordered to recalibrate discussion around their comeback.

I don’t always write about performance videos, but it’s been so long since I’ve featured a Billlie song on the blog. The group’s sound has been through many iterations so far, moving from quirky storytelling to more common K-pop tropes. Work lacks pretty much all of the unique elements that made Billlie stand out upon debut, replaced with 2026’s trend of the moment: talking over club beats. To be fair, this talking in Work is often more akin to rapping, utilizing a variety of flows rather than simply speaking in monotone. This makes Work feel a bit more robust, even if the song itself still comes across as a copy of a copy.

There are moments of vocal bombast that slice up the monotony, but Work consistently cycles back to its “work, work, work” centerpiece. We get it, K-pop girl groups. You’re gonna work, you slay, you’re better than other girls, you’re our bias, lookatyoulookatyou, etc. We must get to a place where these groups have more to say, because these catchphrasey dance tracks have become an assembly line of fast fashion. One blends into the next without much change, making it very difficult for any group to develop a sound and statement all their own.

Grade: C+