New boy group project idntt got a lot of attention last year, but I struggled to hear anything in their music that set them apart from their peers. Still, they have some notable producers attached to their songs and their large, ever-shifting configuration is interesting. However, I head into any song called “Pretty Boy Swag” with my defenses activated, prepared for a whole lot of shout-chant posturing.
The song turns out to be a mid-tempo funk track, driven by old-school hip-hop beats and splashes of brass. As is often the case with this style, the producers have found a good groove and stuffed it with plenty of goodies. The production bottles so many familiar elements together, crafting a larger-than-life sound that should act as a vessel for an equally dynamic song. Unfortunately — as ever — this is where the composers cut corners.
Pretty Boy Swag is a collection of various chants and spoken-word assertions, almost side-lining melody entirely. It almost works because the instrumental is so fun, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for lazy songwriting. To idntt’s credit, they deliver this shout-chant sound in a relatively un-obnoxious way, imbuing as much funk as they can. Sadly, there’s just not enough to work with. I’m sure Pretty Boy Swag will make for exciting stages from a visual standpoint, but as a song it’s yet another one of these swaggering chant-alongs to add to the pile.
Hooks
6
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
7
RATING
7.5
Grade: C
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