After taking Korea by storm within the spring of 2024, ILLIT’s Magnetic went on to see nice success in markets like Japan. It solely is sensible that they’d increase their profession there, particularly given HYBE’s current infrastructure within the nation. Almond Chocolate sees them getting in on the profitable OST enterprise, intently mirroring the sound of profitable J-pop acts.
Almond Chocolate has a extra ornate sound than ILLIT’s current discography, forgoing quirky repetition for a lightweight and frilly association. It’s not not like one thing we’d have heard on a Lovelyz or GFriend b-side. In different phrases, the Japanese affect is powerful. The strings that open the monitor are pure 2016-era nostalgia, and I’m positively right here for that. The ladies’ vocals additionally really feel much less affected — particularly throughout Almond Chocolate‘s sturdy pre-chorus. It’s clear that ILLIT are able to delivering quite a lot of types and I hope their future work continues to tease this out.
As for the track itself, Almond Chocolate is a bit inconsequential. It stays hushed and candy throughout, too hesitant to take pleasure in a little bit of drama. Even the climactic energy notes are buried within the combine, like somebody’s singing within the room subsequent door and we simply so occur to listen to the sound muffled by the wall. If ILLIT proceed down this route, their producers have to allow them to actually assault the fabric. That’s the place traditional songs are born. We acquire nothing by holding again at each flip.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
