1. We Up // 2. Call My Name // 3. Heavy
WE UP
Initially, I wasn’t too optimistic about the b-sides on TWS’s new single. For one, the highlight medley undersold the sound of the songs, choosing clips that weren’t all that representative. Then, the song descriptions themselves were a list of some of the most overused sub-genres in K-pop over the past few years: Miami bass, drum and bass, “soft” pop. But you know what? There’s nothing inherently bad about these genres if they’re executed well and are less diluted than modern K-pop tends to make them.
Take We Up, for example. On first listen, I was like: “That’s right! This is what Miami bass is meant to sound like.” The moment the gurgling electro bass comes in midway through verse one, I was sold. The song grooves in an almost forceful way, offering the perfect space for a dynamic mix of rap and vocals. With every TWS project, it feels like we’re hearing new colors to their voices and I’m really compelled by the members’ delivery during the verses. Dohoon, especially, proves to be just as charismatic a rapper as he is a vocalist.
We Up‘s chant-heavy chorus is its weakest moment, but the hook brings the right amount of energy and never devolves into the shrill textures that K-pop’s boy group chants often succumb to. In both length and ambition, We Up is on the slighter side of TWS’s discography, but it’s a very fun and addictively energetic start that I predict will grow even more enjoyable with time.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
I’ve heard of drum and bass but never heard of the Miami bass, is it a specific genre, or it does involved in a specific pattern of beats/special use of instrument?
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Miami Bass is a subgenre of Hip-hop that originated during the 80s/90s, influenced by reggae and electro-funk. Most known for its uptempo rhythms (110-140bpm), heavy 808s, hissing cymbals, and aggressive vocal delivery.
If you want any songs, these two come up pretty frequently as strong representations:
Supersonic – J.J.Fad, Whoomp! (There It Is) – Tag Team
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For other groups this would be an entire lead single; for TWS its just the album opener.
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this was a surprise for me. it’s very boy group trope-y but done well like RIIZE’s Bag Bad Back. it sounds like a YG-style song down to the party outro but they made it good
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nick Very stupid question but what would u do if tws next cb was this
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So this is definitely not what I would want from TWS or what my idea of their discography (which I’m diving in currently) is. The miami bass production is great, though.
I think the instrumental would’ve done a lot more with more skilled rappers, but I’m not gonna mention any groups because I really dislike those types of comparisons. I guess it’s just your typical “boy group” song, and it’s not horrible, but I don’t see myself returning to it.
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