As 2025 kicked off, BABYMONSTER had been nonetheless selling their first album with a sequence of follow-up tracks. A second album has been promised for this fall (although take that with a grain of salt given YG Leisure’s observe file) and the summer-themed Sizzling Sauce acts as its opening salvo, launched digitally to kick off the month of July.
The tune takes its cues from 80’s hip-hop and the visible presentation of Website positioning Taiji & Boys’ early-90’s debut period. These are two touchstones I completely love, so Sizzling Sauce ought to work higher for me than it does. Its bouncy, minimalist beat is an appropriate nod to hip-hop’s adolescence, however the tune is simply too one-note to work. I’ve a wierd aversion to the phrases “sizzling sauce” getting used as a hook. Possibly I’m nonetheless scarred from NCT Dream’s aural assault 4 years in the past, however even with out that previous trauma the sound of the phrase feels awkward and mechanically gimmicky. Plus, there’s no actual method to make a two-syllable hook be something however repetitive, and even at two-and-a-half minutes Sizzling Sauce shortly wears out its welcome.
I additionally discover BABYMONSTER’s circulation a bit uninspiring. It’s very genuine to the period they’re in search of to duplicate, however from verse to refrain it feels as if we’re listening to the identical line time and again. A distinct hook would have resolved this problem, letting the verses capitalizing on the old-school groove whereas a extra melodic centerpiece pulls the tune in a special, extra fashionable path. Because it stands, I don’t see myself going again to this. It’s a bit “kiddie present does hip-hop” in a nasty means.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-
