Since their Japanese debut in 2020, Stray Children have amassed a fairly giant J-pop discography. JYP Leisure has all the time been good at preserving a number of markets fed, and Stray Children’ self-producing standing ensures a sure degree of continuity between their multi-language catalogs. New single Hole hails from their upcoming third Japanese mini album and sees them taking up a extra melodic strategy.
It’s robust with Stray Children as a result of I usually discover myself wishing they’d lean extra into melody and dispatch with the (usually gimmicky) shout-chanting that characterizes a lot of their tracks. But, once they do go for one thing softer like Hole, the melodies hardly ever hit with me. Hole has a considerably colorless palette, fusing gritty synth to a mid-tempo beat that feels plodding regardless of moments of liftoff. Every component, from the instrumental to the vocals, is smothered by this hazy mattress of filters that drains character from the monitor. This makes it onerous for any particular person piece to interrupt by way of and totally seize consideration.
Manufacturing apart, Hole is sort of workmanlike in its strategy. All the pieces about it’s relentlessly superb, from the requisite rap verse to the biking construction of the refrain. Nevertheless, all of it feels flat to me. It’s like a placeholder single — one thing the group was contractually obligated to ship with no actual ardour or aptitude behind it.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-
