Young Posse have had a very mixed track record on this blog, and lately it’s trending for the worse. I enjoy what they do in theory — especially when they focus on the classic touchstones of the genres they reference. Too often, their music gets caught up in gimmicky catchphrases and “experimental” production that tends to be more grating than thrilling.

With new single Go Ahead (GO해), the group has moved back to basics. We’re firmly within early-90s hip-hop — an evergreen inspiration for K-pop acts. The girls vamp over a House Of Pain style beat, interpolating Queen (?) and overdoing it a bit with the swaggy affectations. This is a recipe that could be successful if the song itself was stronger. Its beat switch-ups are fun and build upon each other rather than upend momentum, but Go Ahead struggles to find a hook worth coming back to. It often feels like some friends (a posse, if you will) playing around on a beat without any intention to make a memorable single. Hip-hop is littered with such tracks, but these aren’t usually promoted with music videos.

Grade: C