If you were worried there wasn’t already enough Anderson .Paak in K-pop, I’ve got good news for you. He’s developed a comedy film called K-Pops! and features on the soundtrack alongside many popular Korean acts. I’m not very clued in about the specifics of the film, but it seems that it first screened two years ago. I’m not sure why we’re finally releasing a music video now, but he’s teamed up with NMIXX for the Dem Jointz-produced Caution.
This… certainly sounds like a modern K-pop song. We’ve got clanging, confrontational beats, plenty of attitude-infused sing-talk and some sound effects for good measure. It’s not the approach I prefer from NMIXX, nor is it the kind of track I feel they excel at. The production infuses many different ideas and I appreciate the various flourishes that pop up throughout. Dem Jointz’s work is rarely for me, but there’s no doubt he’s a talented creator.
Still, when it comes down to it there’s just not enough song here to tempt my ears. Everyone involved sounds good and there’s enough going on to keep listeners engaged. There’s just no one killer moment worth waiting for. Without this kind of dynamic, Caution passes by as an impressive non-event. Fans of NMIXX or .Paak might be charmed, but both artists have been attached to far more exciting projects in the past.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I think hating on celebrities is a loser behaviour in general, but my God am I tired of seeing this Anderson Paak dude everywhere. I know he is half-Korean and k-pop companies are hungry for more and more Western success, but none of of the songs he featured on is interesting to me. I see him as a male Zendaya of the k-pop world: famous, I can see why he is famous, but incredibly bland.
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now why is zendaya in it
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Exactly what is bland about her anyway????
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She has a pretty face, model-esque figure, charming personality, and great fashion sense, but her acting skills? Very limited and dare I say mediocre.
When a role plays into her strengths, she can be pretty good, like when she plays Rue. She fully commits to how ugly addiction can make a person become, complete with constant voice changes and frantic body language.
But when a role demands warmth or variation, her performances fall apart. Her role as MJ? Flat & lacking in emotional variation. She relies too heavily on a dry, “too cool to care” sarcastic demeanor and plays every scene with the same level of detachment, no matter what’s happening. Compare her MJ’s performance with Jesse Eisenberg’s “Mark Zuckerberg”. Both characters were written to be socially awkward, smart, and detached, but Jesse’s performance still constantly shifts underneath the surface. Restrained acting still needs variation after all. I’m not even gonna touch on her “Chani” performance 😬.
With all that being said, Zendaya is not a terrible actress, and certainly not as bad as Gal Gadot. The problem is Hollywood has spent the last few years treating Zendaya like this once in a generation actress, when she is not, and convinced itself that she is this untouchable & versatile actress, when she definitely is not.
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She was fantastic in Challengers. I think she is appropriately glazed.
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Definitely not the kind of songs that NMIXX usually known for. I also did not like this kind of approach where NMIXX did not utilize their vocals appropriately. It got so boring in the middle of the song, the only good parts is the last high note chorus.
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I have a bizarre feeling everytime I hear “INCOMINGGGG!”. It kinda gives me a sense of dread, especially if it’s a JYP release because JYP X DemJointz does NOT mix well (Look at ITZY’s Gold).
I was first very happy for a new NMIXX song because I liked their Western releases, but the sing-talk caught me off guard. The song feels muddy and the backing wee-ooh vocals did not have the same effect as the oh-oh-oh Lily chorus in TANK. It felt like… a choice. It’s edgy, girl-crush, braggadocious, all the necessary factors for the Western market, but BRING BACK THEIR VOCALS. You got a whole arsenal of vocalists, but giving them sing-talk? This should be considered a crime.
Speaking of crime, I did enjoy the crime scene concept, don’t think I’ve seen that before in Kpop.
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It is days like today with releases like today when I have to remind myself about what is the point of music like those released today? It seems to be to just put stuff out there and see if someone is buying.
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Any particular part of the song is interesting and enjoyable, but I don’t think it has a strong enough progression or fully satisfying story arc. I think the percussion is to blame, there’s little change the entire song, even towards the end of the song where the girls start to go off with run after run. However, these runs and other classic Nmixx vocal calling cards (ample backing flourishes and dynamic melodic punches throughout) paired with a pleasing rap rhythm and flow for both the girls and Paak help to keep this interesting.
Ultimately Nmixx’s best work comes from statement pieces like Crescendo, High Horse, Papillon, Dash, etc. but I can still appreciate a few more trendy pieces like this when listening to their discography.
I’d place this below Tic Tic (Pablo Vitar), which was a big time grower for me, but still plenty above Come On (Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike) as far as single promo Nmixx Collabs go.
9,7,7,9 = 8
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just wanted to say as an nswer i always look forward to your comments on nmixx posts haha, i love the way you breakdown their music! im curious what you didn’t like about come on? i haven’t heard it in a looong time but i remember looping it alot when it first came out
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Thank you for the compliment! As for Come On, I liked the vocal performance (it did have a lot in it to let the girls show off) but the melodies felt maybe just a bit generic or western coded? I don’t dislike the song, but it would be in the lowest tier of their work, prolly around 7.5 rating.
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So… Tyler the Creator on the next NMIXX track, huh? Fine then, I’ll come back next time with Wonder Girls featuring Akon. Bye
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idk what’s making you say this but I would kill for tyler the creator x nmixx lmaoooo
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Anderson Paak’s stuff is all garbage
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GFYS
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It’s just someone’s opinion. If you don’t like it, just ignore it. Breathe and scroll on by.
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That user *always* behaves like this. I never read any constructive feedback from them. They just sh*tpost – and i’m not ok with that.
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The hell are you talking about lmao.
Constructive feedback to Anderson Paak??
I’m sorry you’re unable to come across differing opinions without insulting people.
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Nah I partially agree with Softclocks. Some of Anderson Paak’s releases are bland, but the others are downright garbage.
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That wee-ooo post chorus is certainly a choice.
I listened to small bits because I had to rush for some hard labor (composting, yaaaayyy /hj), and before I listened in full, I was ready for you to absolutely bash this to hell.
After listening in full, I actually like it! Look, when Anderson isn’t doing some corporate shilling, he can be a fun artist to listen to! He mixed well with this track and he had a nicely balanced distribution where he didn’t take too much of the song. Plus it’s a fuller song in comparison to TIC TIC, which while I like, was just so much of an afterthought in terms of the results length wise. Back to this song though, minus that weeoo siren post chorus, I’m actually fine with this one, looks like its more so than the comments.
7.5 (8,8,7,7) no pun intended, but all parts of this (including Dem Jointz) have had a history of producing a mixed bag before. And it actually is a solid result.
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I’m not trying to convince anybody whether they should or shouldn’t like the song, as that’s a matter of personal taste, but when I see comments about not utilizing their vocals I wonder if we’re listening to the same song…
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It’s a bit dry but very consistent. Paak & the girls’ job is great. The mix is amazing. And what a beat!
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