Though Hearts2Hearts have only released one mini album in Korea this year, they’ve been busy with one-off singles and other releases. We had Japanese track Iconic Heart and most recently the Kia tie-in Moonride. Now, it’s time for the group’s first English-language release, which also happens to be a tie-in. Next Chapter promotes mobile game Arena of Valor and arrives just as a certain ex-SM founder is finding massive success with his own new girl group.

It’s impossible not to wonder how Hearts2Hearts’s existing chart success will interact with A2O Lite’s, or if the two groups will take any cues from each other. When it comes to Next Chapter, I certainly wish the song had a bit more Neon to it. It’s an upbeat synth-dance track, but driven by an almost incessant need for sing-talk. On its own, the instrumental is quite fun. It’s incredibly sprightly and stuffed with enough interesting textures to keep your ear compelled.

There’s something to Next Chapter‘s stuttering chorus as well, but this is all undercut by the song’s many tuneless moments of affected speaking. These work wonders in small doses (Rude‘s iconic bridge says hello!), but it’s all a bit formless here and feels as though it’s simply killing time. Similarly, the verses sacrifice much of the instrumental’s natural movement in a way that only shines light on the silly English lyrics. There’s a lot of potential here, but the song can’t quite find a way to harness it.

Grade: C