Track Evaluate: ATEEZ – Work

There are a variety of Ok-pop teams from the category of 2018-19 that I’ve fallen out with musically. ATEEZ and Stray youngsters instantly come to thoughts, with ITZY and TXT additionally shedding some luster from their peak. Having a look at my year-end countdown from 2019 depicts an alternate universe the place these teams’ music dominated my playlists. A few of this shift stems from a private character flaw: I are likely to lose curiosity in acts as soon as they change into monstrously in style. However past that, I’d argue most of their music simply… hasn’t been pretty much as good recently?

No group represents this transition higher than ATEEZ. I promise I don’t come to their new music with a vendetta or search to carry them again from altering and rising. In any case, re-creating Wonderland or Wave again and again would finally develop stale. I simply want their music had grown into one thing extra attention-grabbing than Work.

At its core, Work is a enjoyable mid-tempo hip-hop observe. The manufacturing is crisp and groovy and sounds in contrast to most of ATEEZ’s title tracks. The rhythmic switch-ups work nicely and I respect much less reliance on the jarring vocal results KQ Leisure appears to like a lot. The group is a little more reserved right here and it’s not a nasty search for them.

Nonetheless, once I zoom out and examine Work to the bigger sphere of world music, it’s onerous to see what it delivers that’s completely different from so many different tracks. The hook is catchy given its sheer repetition, however lacks shock and idiosyncrasy. Equally, the verses by no means discover killing moments that will assist Work stand out. So, we’re left with a good beat and a strong efficiency. That’s sufficient to make the music a worthy addition to ATEEZ’s discography, however not dramatic sufficient to show this ship round — at the very least for me.

Grade: C