Dropping one letter (and parentheses) from your group name shouldn’t be too big of a deal, but since rebranding as i-dle, the former (G)I-DLE has seen their chart powers diminish. It’s too early to tell if last year’s results were a fluke or not, but it makes their upcoming album feel like an important fork in the road of their career. Today, we have the first taste of that album in the form of pre-release Crow.
i-dle’s music has often relied on gimmicks and catchphrases, and given K-pop’s trajectory this year I feared that Crow may feature some actual squawking. At this point, I wouldn’t put it past this industry! Instead, the song takes the group down an edgier path, driven by a stomping glam rock beat. This is a refreshing transformation with unlimited potential, and when the song works it works quite well. The rap-heavy verses are a lot of fun, mostly due to that killer percussion.
From here, Crow feels underwritten. The chorus doesn’t pack the punch I hoped for from a track like this. The energy coasts just as it should explode. Then, Crow segues into an extended outro that further diminishes momentum. I appreciate the risks i-dle take with the arrangement, but these choices leave us without a satisfying finish. To me, Crow feels like a demo with a ton of potential that needs to be fleshed out a bit more.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
meh… they’ve already released a track very similar to this song. I looked it up and the track is Lucid from the album I Feel. I knew I’d heard that melody before
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reminds me of izna sass
https://youtu.be/FFkxUtzd4vI
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I’m actually loving the smoky, smouldering flavor of Crow! This is a song well-suited for calmly striding away from a crime scene
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the textures of the instrumental gave me high hopes but I couldn’t even distinguish which part was the chorus… even if I do now it speaks about how not-catchy it is.
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i had the exact same thought 😭 where does the chorus start and end
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reminds me of izna sass
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it’s cool, more like an intro of the whole ep, if the title track is a powerful song right after this, the effect would be much better. as for the song itself, the structure is kinda loose, I barely concentrate while listening.
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I agree, it sounds like an intro, not a full independent song. So I feel like I have to withhold my thoughts until I get to listen to it in context.
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Oh, I loved it, a gidle track that has interested me after so long. The chorus would absolutely used some more energy but I think it’s a good pre-release track. Also, Soyeon’s rap verse was great.
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An essay in what rap triplets are. The rhythm is so dull and obvious and repetitive and not in a good way. Onetwothree – Fourfixsix – Seveneight – NINE with BUM ba-BUMP ba-BUMP ba-BUMP’s for “variety”.
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Amazing that Soyeon got the first third of the song to herself and then everyone else got 30 seconds total.
Idk.
It’s weird that they didn’t switch back and forth; for the most part, once each girl’s part was done, it was done. I’m not sure why Yuqi and Shuhua split a part.
Also I really wish Minnie would stop doing that thing with her voice. Yuqi too, but hers is less annoying
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This is so bold! I’m amazed & pleased by the line distribution, the powerful beat & vocals, the audacity of the bridge and how everything is very consistent in the end. Finally something really new! Congrats girls!
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the song and video are SO similar to Gottasadae by BewhY—is it just me? I clocked it immediately, but maybe I’m just hearing/seeing things? Does anyone know what I’m talking about? At the very least, the vibes are the same.
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Probably more listenable to most songs I’ve heard recently, but somehow the English parts made me laugh a little bit. Also I’m really sick of their fans being obsessed with the “innovation” and “breakthrough” like they’ve never seen other groups do such concept.
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