New group KEYVITUP have to be so impressed by their foolish identify that they made it the title of their debut observe as properly. There’s energy in repetition, and getting your identify out to listeners is vital. Their pre-debut Greatest One hinted at sturdy vocals, however (the music) KEYVITUP principally jettisons that attraction for acquainted 90s hip-hop tropes.

I actually need to hear these guys on a vocally-focused observe. They really feel wasted on materials that’s principally composed of rhythmic chanting. 90s hip-hop is a really well-trodden period for Ok-pop, which is sensible because it’s the last decade when the trendy trade got here to life as we all know it. I’ll at all times love a 90s beat, however you will need to place an equally groovy music excessive. There’s not a lot “music” happening right here. As a substitute, it seems like a number of pick-and-mix items thrown collectively in a predictable method. The pre-chorus is the very best of those segments, however even right here there’s not a lot to jot down dwelling about.

We’ve handed the purpose in Ok-pop the place there’s little or no left to mine from sure tropes. So fairly than reinvent the sport, teams should churn out the very best model of the sound. I don’t suppose anybody would argue that KEYVITUP is the very best model of a 90s hip-hop boy group observe, making it really feel extra like work than pleasure.

Grade: C-