Japanese mega-girl group/collective Sakurazaka46 recently released a few stunning singles, which got me thinking about what a 20+ member group can sound like. In my mind, the music should be as immense as the configuration, and I haven’t often felt that way about tripleS’s output. Their songs feel too small for their concept, and I keep waiting for them to blow their sound wide open.

We inch closer to that moment with new title track Baby Flower, which takes them down a propulsive, rock-infused route. The song boasts more than a little of the “powerful innocence” concept re-popularized by GFriend a decade or so ago, which isn’t surprising given producer EL CAPITXN‘s involvement in the track. His work with AHOF has pointed toward a fondness for the sounds of K-pop’s mid-2010s, and I would love nothing more than that kind of songcraft to make a resurgence this year. Baby Flower isn’t up there with the best of the genre (that’s a tall order to fill!), but it tries its heart out and that’s a very winning formula.

So many K-pop tracks these days function firmly in the “I”. “I’m the best. I’m your bias. I’ll make it lemonade.” In contrast, Baby Flower feels like a good old fashioned “we” song. “We can do it. We’ll get ’em!” I’ve always preferred this approach and I admire the musical ambition on display here. The song climaxes with a few high notes that feel uncomfortably executed (24 members and you couldn’t get them to sing together?), but overall this is good, rousing fun in a classic, anthemic style.

Grade: B