JUKEBOX THEORY OF PARTIES: specific parties (“house party,” “body party,” “hurly burly party”) are always better than generic parties (Beyonce, this)

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[5.62]

Mo Kim: If “Catch Me If You Can” was a shot of vodka, this is a pina colada: perfectly summery, not too strong, and cool enough to tide over those of us suffering yet another warmest year on record.
[7]

Micha Cavaseno: An entirely fine bit of Ed Banger-styled electro swish, but it never really transcends its breeziness, and gets swept away from memory pretty effortlessly after it’s stopped.
[6]

Thomas Inskeep: With groups like EXID and 9Muses making super-progressive K-pop, exhortations like “Hey! Turn it up!” and “It’s a party!” and a straight four-on-the-floor beat result in a single that’s all too generic. 
[3]

Alfred Soto: The thinness of the mix and melodies sound closer to that moment when you’re thinking about the mythical party in your mind that’s awesome.
[5]

Patrick St. Michel: The heaps of money the Tourism Authority of Thailand probably forked over to remind the world its beach sand looks unreal distracts from the real geographical intrigue of “Party.” The lyrics are mostly vague examples of summer vibe-ing, of waves and singing and (duh) partying, so general they sound best when turned to a hiccup. Yet the chorus gets really specific, highlighting lemon soju and placing Jeju Island on the same level as California and Rome as summer destinations. This is Hallyu working overtime to keep on raking in money from the Asian market. And it all sounds irresistible when rendered through Girls’ Generation’s seasonal fizz, where voices and whistles act as sonic exclamation points. This party has been done better before, though — the producer working on this song also did some of the best songs in J-pop outfit E-Girls’ catalog, and “Party” features a lot of the same details as standouts such as “ASAP” and “Fancy Baby.” That doesn’t take away from Girls’ Generation’s latest, just takes a bit of the shine off the brochure. 
[6]

Edward Okulicz: Evokes both Madonna’s “Holiday” and Kylie’s “Love at First Sight,” yet is as good as neither. Shouldn’t discount the fact that it is fun, though.
[6]

Brad Shoup: The hands-in-pockets funk of “Treasure” put in service of Carly Rae Jepservessence, with a little detour into “Tik Tok.” It skips so hard I wonder why they had to stutter the vocals.
[7]

Danilo Bortoli: Not as ecstatic and life-affirming as the title suggests (and requires the song to be), but Girls’ Generation’s indelible mark is still here, a mixture of perfect pop and their now easily recognizable gimmickry, which will not last forever.
[5]