When it comes to HYBE groups, aoen have had a curiously subdued rollout. You never hear much about them and they’ve pretty much stuck to their homebase of Japan rather than attempt to intermix with the K-pop industry. So far, they’ve released a few decent songs but haven’t established anything close to their own sound. New single Instant Crush also feels quite generic, but it’s a decent repainting of Japan’s current rock-forward trends.
Of all aoen’s singles so far, Instant Crush would most convincingly pass for a track from some cool indie band. Its shuffling percussion feels very on-trend — overly intricate and fussy. I much prefer the more straightforward parts of its instrumental and wonder what the song could sound like if its plucked guitar was an electric riff and its skittering percussion transformed into pounding drums. A needless second verse breakdown stalls momentum (I seriously can’t believe songs are still doing this in 2026) and the chorus opts for sing-song catchiness instead of anthemic heft. This all adds up to a track that’s enjoyable but repetitive. What it really needed to be, though, is a convincing exercise in branding. I’m still not sure what an aoen song is meant to sound like.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8
Grade: B-
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