Pentagon are the latest act to celebrate their tenth anniversary this year, and although they’ve lost a few members they’ve brought together seven of the ten original line-up for special single Coward (겁쟁이). Co-composed and produced by member Kino, the track takes the sentiment expected of a career milestone and bolsters it with plenty of energy.
Coward takes an approach I always enjoy in pop music. It snowballs as it goes, opening almost as a ballad before the production gradually builds. This structure rewards patience and has become nearly impossible in our two-minute streaming economy. It gives a song a natural sense of movement and purpose. Just like a good vacation, there’s a destination in mind. We’re headed somewhere. In Coward‘s case, that “somewhere” is a cathartic dance break that also acts as a natural climax.
I’m also heartened by the sheer amount of singing happening throughout this track. Pentagon has always been underrated as a vocal group and it’s nice to hear them tackle such a melodic highlight. There are strong allusions to past K-pop generations but it feels very natural and not simply a pastiche of past songs. And like those older classics, Coward feels built to last the long run.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
Grade: B+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I’ll always remember them for Shine, and this song honors that legacy to my ears. It’s got heart! 8.5
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speaking of ten year anniversaries, LOONA’s is coming up! Since you never reviewed the earlier solos, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them, and even if you did write about them, I think a lot of them have aged quite interestingly (Choerry’s and GoWon’s come to mind)
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Congratulations to Pentagon. Forever known to me as the ones behind Shine and also Cosmo.
This song here today is a bit of a pastiche of every fan service song ever, hitting every mark. These days, this really does a mighty fine job as the entity known as “song”. (Also these days gotta wonder about how the pastiche was crafted.)
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A nice mid-tempo song perfect for anniversary. It gave ample time for listeners to appreciate the group vocals and digest the story for a savory aftertaste. If recent kpop songs were likened to fast food fashioned for virality & SNS engagement, then this song is the full course meal containing good nutrients for our ear and heart.
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I’ve always had a soft spot for Pentagon maybe not proportional to their output but I can’t help it. What they do that nobody else in kpop does really is make “loser music” – music about how sad and pathetic they are, please notice them. It has a ton of catharsis. Shine and Daisy in particular do this. Anyways this song is a good fit for them because it brings that same energy. I wish they had been more successful 😦 Hui deserves better he’s so talented.
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Wow, just what Kpop needed right now. So sweet and wholesome
8.75(8,9,9,9)
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The amount of talent in the group is amazing, and it’s also amazing how they didn’t make it as big as they should have. Love them and love the song!!
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