Few rookie teams have endured a narrative as dramatic as Fifty Fifty. Initially rising from a fledgling company, they shortly gained worldwide notoriety and unimaginable momentum, solely to have this success undercut by alleged abuse, escalating lawsuits and contract terminations. The timeline is just too sophisticated for me to recount right here, however we’re left with an upcoming “comeback” from a bunch with nearly fully new members. Starry Evening acts as its pre-release.

This doesn’t solely apply to Ok-pop, however I’ve seen a worrying development over the previous yr or so of more and more vacuous pop music. I don’t imply “vacuous” in the best way many pop-detractors do. I like nothing extra {that a} meaningless little bit of bubblegum fluff with a killer melody. I imply “vacuous” as in “fairly tune, fairly sound, however nothing a lot occurring beneath the hood.” It’s like a contemporary redux of watered down easy-listening. Starry Evening suits inside this realm, delivering a wisp of pop aftertaste with out the substance that makes you are feeling glad.

The vocals are beautiful, the manufacturing is slick and the melodies go just about the place you’d anticipate them to. However with out particular person quirk, Starry Evening might have simply as simply been recorded by AI. It’s the most recent in an growing line of globally-minded Ok-pop singles that fill a pair minutes on a playlist however gained’t be remembered in a yr’s time. I’m extra curious the place Fifty Fifty go from right here, as a result of this tune doesn’t trace at any particular imaginative and prescient.

Grade: C