A full group comeback for Mamamoo is on the horizon to celebrate their twelth anniversary, but before that the individual members remain active with solo work. Moonbyul has been quite prolific over the past few years, covering many genres with her music. Her latest Hertz throws these genres into a blender.
One thing I’ve appreciated about Moonbyul’s solo work is that she doesn’t feel restrained by K-pop’s gender expectations. She has released a few songs that feel as if they could have been given to boy bands. I hear many of the industry’s boy groups in Hertz, though this time it’s not always for the better. The song opens promisingly enough, pulling us in with a rugged, rock-fueled verse. Moonbyul excels in this realm and the track’s energy is freewheeling and fun.
However, these moments are all Hertz really has. After a somewhat forgettable chorus, the song collapses into a non-hook, repeating its title in monotone as the instrumental loses all flavor. Given the track’s brevity (2:28), you come away from Hertz feeling like there’s no centerpiece at all — that a necessary minute or so has been extracted from the song entirely. In other words, its an idea in need of development and space, both of which come at a premium in this era of K-pop.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25
Grade: C
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