ILLIT’s music has grown more gimmicky with time, often on the hunt for the best TikTok challenge rather than the best songwriting. This is more of an observation than a judgment because there have been plenty of great K-pop groups who built their careers around gimmicks in the past. But every once and awhile, it’s nice to be reminded that they can also be a solid, straightforward pop group. This reminder has appeared most frequently in their Japanese work and continues with new single I Got You Back.
I Got Your Back gives ILLIT a pop-rock backdrop to work with and squeezes in two members of popular J-pop group Hana for good measure. It’s a fun time, even if the song doesn’t amount to much once its over. This is a brief spurt of energy, kicking up immediately and dispensing its shiny, singalong hooks in under two-and-a-half minutes. This doesn’t leave any room for musical bloat, but also prevents the track from taking any interesting chances.
To its credit, I Got Your Back stuffs as much as it can into its brief runtime. Once the vocals begin, there’s hardly a moment the girls aren’t delivering some sort of spunky refrain. The tradeoff for this approach comes at the song’s finale, which is… nonexistent. It simply ends without warning, refusing us the exciting climax a track like this is designed to build toward. This leaves I Got Your Back feeling unfinished and slightly unsatisfying, but I guess that’s the name of the game in pop music these days.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
Grade: B-
0 Comments