A Ok-pop act’s title monitor isn’t all the time the very best track on their album, even when it’s the one most individuals will hear. Typically, b-sides deserve recognition too. Within the singles-oriented world of Ok-pop, I wish to highlight a few of these buried treasures and provides them the props they deserve.

In terms of the brighter facet of boygroup pop in 2024, there are two manufacturing groups that stand above all others. One is the Wasurenai/Jeon Jin/Glenn/Haon/and so forth staff chargeable for TWS’s music and the opposite is the KZ/NTHONIUS/Dint/Meisobo/D’Day staff, who’re greatest know for working with The Wind. WHIB’s b-side Play (해!) nabs the latter staff and sounds prefer it may have been at residence on any Wind album. It is a superb factor.

Play is a whirl of sweet floss, adorned with a sequence of indelible hooks and constantly upbeat vitality. The track bounds proper out of the gate with massive stomping percussion. Nonetheless, it’s not simply the instrumental that prices onward with goodwill. The melodies (particularly the refrain) are equally effusive. There’s a basic Ok-pop contact fueling each second. In one other world, this might have been an early GFriend monitor. It shares that very same sense of “highly effective innocence” — cute and contemporary however constructed upon a deep effectively of musical ability. Coupled with unbelievable title monitor Rush Of Pleasure, WHIB have burst onto my radar like a comet. I hope they proceed this trajectory!

Grade: B+