A week after pre-releasing their track Puzzle Piece, KickFlip have returned with their fifth mini album. Like all their albums, the group took part in song composition, working with established producers and artists. In the case of title track Kick Off The Wall, they paired with the guys from LDN Noise and American rapper iann dior, giving the song a global bent.
Kick Off The Wall takes the group’s now-established youthful rock sound and ties it to more electronic elements. In this way, it strongly reminds me of 90s music — an era where grunge and electronica could co-exist and even play together on a single track. The melodies definitely remind me of this style of song. I’m not sure how I feel about the chorus yet (though it sure is catchy!), but I was sold on the verses right from the start. The song manages to display confidence while still remembering to harness sung melodies instead of relying on a bunch of chanting and talking.
LDN Noise’s production does much of the heavy lifting here. Just like their recent track with ALPHA DRIVE ONE, they know how to establish energy and maintain momentum while still delivering a few unexpected twists. iann dior’s rap verse might be a smidge too long, but it arrives at the perfect time, extending the track rather than stealing KickFlip’s thunder. Even better is the glitchy dance break that follows, further completing the song. I think Kick Off The Wall could go bigger and bolder in many ways, but I have a feeling its brisk energy will grow even more addictive with time.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
Grade: B+
Ooh this is great! I’m not sold on the chorus either, but god do I have the energy here! I sense LDN Noise is about to be the top producer of this year, huh?
Rating’s the same
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I don’t really care for it. Maybe a 7.25. Are they not selling well back home? I get the feeling they haven’t caught on and so JYP is starting to play it safe. I noticed there’s a dozen writing credits on this compared to four on Eye Poppin’ 🤔
Puzzle piece hasn’t grown on me. The wonky parts don’t seem to elevate the song. Rockin’ is a solid song on the album. The rest is pretty meh.
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This was fun! I hear the 90’s grunge-electronica sound you’re referring to here. It does feel like they’re moving ever so slightly away from fuller melodies as they take on a crunchier, darker/mature sound, which applies to the whole EP.
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This is a real song. At this point I just need 2018 songwriting back, we need 3:30 songs as a baseline but nonetheless LDN Noise definitely is a producer to beat this year. I love how seamless the song sounds, how full it is, in this economy!!! This really gives me hope that our new 5th generation boy groups are saving K-pop from the mainstream infractions. NGL when I saw iann dior on the credits I was a bit worried because Mood wasn’t good and I only happen to remember that because it’s one of those Billboard chating slops in 2020. This is solid. 9/10
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Has an early 2000s Tony Hawk-esque vibe which fits their concept and the MV. Lots of energy help make this track track with a cool production showcase toward the end. On top of that, hearing iann dior in 2026 is crazy because it reminds me when the sluggish Mood took over charts 6 years ago?!? Anyway, it’s an enjoyable song with a sound I hope they expand on the future.
8.5(8,9,8,9)
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I feel like this song pretty much does everything right: catchy post chorus, feature that makes sense, dance break, 3-minute run time. If this had been their debut I would have been on the KickFlip train a long time ago. All in all it’s been a great year for these guys.
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The song managed to fulfill all of my favourite track criteria from captivating intro, engaging melodic verses (BIG YES to less chanting), exquisite on point rap parts (no weird tempo change), catchy hook (no cringy word/phrases repeated over and over and over), energetic chorus (no subdued mood), upbeat rock productions (the grunge element was a nice touch), and a good flowing narrative sequences from the beginning to the end. What is not to love? The whole album was also quite solid with B-sides gems like 0 (Young) and Rockin’ as icing on the cake.
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Anyone else hearing the ad libs throughout the MV? I’m curious because they are nowhere to be found on the Spotify versions of the song. Am I crazy?!?!
Saying this because I actually think I prefer the MV version😂…but either way, the song is great! I like the chorus, verses, raps, structure, length, and surprisingly, the feature. I’ll say 8.25
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Ooh I like this one. It has a point of view and sticks to it. The song construction also packs a lot in its 3:12 running time, maybe because we get actual verse + chorus + break + dance sections, and not catch phrases repeated ad nauseum over a basic beat.
I don’t know what it means to “Kick off the wall” but as the resident Super Junior ELF where every album has a song Super-this or Super-that, who am I to judge.
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