Three years ago, Fifty Fifty’s Cupid brought them global attention. But just like a bubble (see what I did there?), their prospects burst when the group fractured. This new group configuration has been flooding the market with material but nothing’s yet recaptured the public interest of Cupid. New single Like A Bubble is unlikely to turn things around.
Some songs just irritate me from the very first line and Like A Bubble has the dubious honor of joining their ranks. Right from the start, its languid sing-song nature grates. I really dislike the way this chorus is sung. The affectations get under my skin — this overly drowsy way of singing. I’m sure it will be others’ cup of tea, but it instantly negates Like A Bubble‘s potential for me.
Apart from that, this is beigepop at its beigiest. The production sounds like muted watercolors, weightless yet at the same time oddly plodding. I hear moments where they’re trying to recapture that Cupid magic, but rather than pleasantly easy listening, Bubble is simply a chore to get through.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.5 |
Grade: D
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Seems like a good time for ablume to come back, as it’s been over a year since their debut, and they still haven’t made a single comeback.
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Sounds like a rejected Red Velvet b-side. Yawn, I still yearn for a Gravity or Lovin’ Me-esque sound 💔
7 (7, 7, 7, 7) for me. Also, it’s like SHINee came back and now all comebacks of the day are mediocre as hell, like SHINee put a curse of sorts
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i’ve lost all hope for fifty fifty
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I know Cupid was their big hit, but I will always insist the EP prior to that was their greatest release – with 3 perfect 10’s in a row: Tell Me, Lovin’ Me, and Higher. (The last song, Log In – well, the less said, the better.) Between that EP and NewJeans’ first, I couldn’t decide which group I was most excited by that year.
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It’s one of my favourite kpop EPs
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I think it’s why I love this song so much: it sounds like it could’ve been on that Fifty Fifty EP, in between Tell Me & Lovin’ Me.
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That was such a great EP. Their music direction with the OG lineup is one of the biggest WHAT IFs in K-pop history. I didn’t even like Cupid that much and trying to recapture that once-in-a-lifetime song is impossible.
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I wanted to like Ablume so much, but for whatever reason, it was lacking the magic of that first EP. I think they have something new coming soon, so I’m looking forward to it.
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Everything they put out after cupid has been bad.
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can they just keep copying Cupid instead of trying make something “new”
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At this point, any time I hear beige or chore I’m like “does 1.1 speed work”? Lo and behold, is still kinda does.
The difference is this is a BSide track. It’s a cute song, I like the dreamy aspects, but this is not a seller among some of the more dynamic tracks released in recent memory, let alone today. Airy, light, a scenic spring window display. That’s all there is. This isn’t as bad as you know, the Skittles song, but I truly think the company only cares about keeping the group name alive over the executions of the group’s work.
6.75 (7, 7, 6, 7). It’s there. Really don’t like how there’s been several songs in the past month where part of the solution is kicking the tempo up a little.
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Looks like they’re trying to imitating the NewJeans’ Bubblegum vibes (definitely not comparing & to start a new war) but the production and melody is just too sleepy.
A low 6.
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