It’s a giant week for the quantity 8. At present, 8TURN are making their comeback. Tomorrow, LUN8 are following go well with. Based mostly on the names alone, it might be straightforward to get these two teams combined up, however to this point 8TURN have launched extra songs that I’ve loved. Nevertheless, they’ve but to search out (and persist with) a signature sound that units them aside from others. New title monitor Stagefright is yet one more sonic shift.

This time, we’re mining a pop/R&B nicely much like many different boy teams over the previous few years. Stagefright‘s refrain is underlined with that ultra-familiar Neptunes Like I Love You guitar-strumming manufacturing, however its verses provide one thing somewhat extra dynamic. I just like the instrumental stabs positioned all through the monitor. They offer Stagefright a pleasant sense of drama. Mini climaxes unfold all through the track, giving it loads of motion.

With this mentioned, Stagefright may use a stronger refrain. The chorus is completely serviceable, however I’m unsure how simply it’ll stick in listeners’ reminiscence. It feels just like the topline is in service of the instrumental slightly than the opposite manner round, tracing the traces of the groove in a manner that makes it (and by extension, 8TURN’s efficiency) really feel secondary. Fortunately, the groove is stable, making this a nice addition to this overstuffed boy group sub-genre. Following this week’s pattern, a score of “8” feels appropriate.

Grade: B-