Recently, idol groups spawned by survival series have subverted corporate expectations and developed signature sounds that give them a unique identity in the K-pop market. AHOF, Close Your Eyes and NouerA all come to mind as great examples. However, CJ ENM and their label WakeOne Entertainment are as corporate as it gets and watching season two of Boys Planet felt more like a gauntlet of market branding than a genuine discovery of fresh new talent.
Now, we have the official debut of ALPHA DRIVE ONE, who have predictably become million-sellers on the very first day of their album’s release. Time will tell if they develop into a group with music that warrants this automatic success, but for now Freak Alarm does not bode well for their musical future. Like their pre-debut Formula, the track sounds like a boy group… well… formula. The producers inject a funky bounce to the instrumental, yet the song completely lacks a sense of funk. Instead, it builds to a truly awful sing/shout chorus. I hate this hook. The tone, the lyrics, the delivery… it’s all like nails on a chalkboard — made worse by how generic and predictable it is.
This centerpiece makes it difficult to appreciate the rest of the track. Sure, the verses are more melodic and certainly less grating, but they don’t spark much interest. The members have nice voices, but no single tone stands out as compelling enough to salvage the track. I just don’t see what they’re bringing that we can’t hear a million other places.
Hooks
6
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.75
Grade: D+
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