The Singles Jukebox

Appraising an uprising…

[Video][Website]
[6.14]

Claire Biddles: Where Haru Nemuri asks: what if maximalist, genre-shredding pop was earnest and warm instead of intimidating? There’s such a gorgeous balance between stream-of-consciousness (both in the music and Nemuri’s performance) and huge primary-coloured melody here that it manages to be both oblique and welcoming. “Riot” sounds like a thousand things but it mostly reminds me of shoegaze, and the endless possibility inherent in maximalism. 
[8]

Ryo Miyauchi: I can’t listen to Haru Nemuri as leisure. It’s not that her music is too challenging to entertain or drained of fun — “Riot” offers her most pop hook yet, with her twirling around humming the titular refrain. That hook, though, is more sugar-coating of a pill that could be hard to swallow. The simple sing-along quickly gets into her rushed lyrics, now approached at a new angle to push her tried-and-true “punk loop and poetry” formula forward. More than that, it tricks me into thinking that this will be easier to sit through emotionally than anything off of Haru To Shura, which she sang as if her life depended on it. But no, Haru Nemuri is just as intense and desperate for her words to get to you in time. If anything, she’s more aware of her earnestness, slightly worried that she’s embarrassing herself, that her deep faith in the power of music is a bit silly. But she commits anyway because it’s better to look foolish than do nothing at all if it means she can save even one life from falling into darkness.
[9]

Leah Isobel: Nemuri’s vocal delivery is somewhere in the realm of Perfect Pussy spoken-word hardcore, but the crystalline mix favors sugary keys and synth tones over dissonance. The death-obsessed lyrics point in a more interesting direction.
[6]

Ramzi Awn: “Riot” offers a welcome dose of cacophony, and Nemuri’s agile voice carries the track well (it’s more of a track than a song, per se). The synth loop in the background resembling a disintegrating orchestra paints a vivid picture, and the verses feature some neat chord work. But the chorus is not well-equipped to withstand the barrage of sound and fails to deliver a strong hook. Though the single boasts compelling sonic textures and a sweet dose of new age in the bridge, overall it’s a bit cute for a riot. 
[5]

Joshua Lu: The instrumental is beautiful and the rapping is satisfyingly dextrous, but the way they’re layered awkwardly on each other makes it feel like I accidentally opened two YouTube tabs simultaneously. It’s an improper fraction of a song, and I’d prefer something more wholly integrated.
[5]

Tobi Tella: Whoever decided to mix pop rock from 2008 and Selena Gomez-esque talk singing should be tried for crimes against music.
[3]

Michael Hong: All across “Riot” is confusion. The instrumental line sounds slightly off and the quick-paced spoken word of the verses is just as dizzying as it is joyful. Things don’t suddenly come with clarity when Haru Nemuri launches into the chant of the title, instead joining in with the chaos, as if finally feeling carefree enough to bounce around in the crowd.
[7]