HYBE’s new Japanese boy group aoen has had a completely superb debut yr, however up to now none of their music has pointed towards a definite route for the blokes. Each The Blue Solar and Seishun Incredibles felt generic in their very own method, with extra fascinating materials slotted in as b-sides. Thankfully, their staff has determined to advertise one in every of these b-sides with a music video.
MXMM may simply be aoen’s greatest tune but. It splits the distinction between a number of iterations of their sound, beginning youthful and vibrant earlier than shifting into extra jagged textures. That is most evident through the tune’s two-part refrain, which neatly contrasts an aggressive digital hook with a way of melodic elevate. It may be troublesome to strike this steadiness in a single tune with out sounding Frankensteined collectively, however all of MXMM‘s items make sense. It helps that the instrumental by no means loses its throughline. Even when twisting and turning, there’s a transparent push towards MXMM‘s finale.
Extra importantly, MXMM provides aoen a number of instructions to discover. Anthemic schoolboy melodies make sense for them, however I’m much more intrigued by the edgier (not shouty) drop on the tune’s core. There’s an enormous gap available in the market for this sound minus the incessant posturing that often comes together with it.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
