Sadly they don’t make a Mediocre flavour yet…
[Video]
[4.17]
Alex Clifton: I love songs that use la–la–las, na–na–nas, and many other nonsense syllables because I can’t help but sing along. “Lalalay” falls well short of that standard. It’s especially disappointing given that Sunmi songs feel like An Event, and if this is an event it’s a party with one person blowing a noisemaker rather than a whole crowd of people.
[3]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: There’s an allure to the siren-blasting chorus, but “Lalalay” lacks the drama of Sunmi’s best singles. The lyrics feel like an afterthought, and they certainly don’t feel deeply integrated with the music. That’s largely a result of how she’s utilizing rap-like vocalizing here — her emotional palette sounds constrained as a result.
[5]
Ryo Miyauchi: In theory “Lalalay” is the stylistic departure that I wanted from Sunmi after an increasingly insular string of singles that ended with “Noir” neatly describing her whole dramatic-heartbreak aesthetic. She’s also taken advantage of summer, the season of opportunity for such escape, by making the sound of “Lalalay” sunnier and more dance-friendly. And yet the grit and heart-racing tension of “Noir” is exactly what I miss, especially as she continues to use her music as an outlet for personal grievances. Her sass instead comes off too contrived, as she plays exactly to what’s expected of a “Sunmi summer dance single.”
[5]
Will Adams: The verses suggest something like an Alexandra Stan-esque trifle, but the chorus deflates any momentum with a wordless hook and EDM drop. La la la luh luh luh luzhzzzzzz.
[5]
Joshua Lu: The lyrics of “Lalalay” speak of being a naughty punk, and the rest of the song, glacial and measured, evokes a placidity that complements that self-assuredness. But the song’s lack of friction is also its downfall; it’s all too steady and sparse, and it runs out of ideas by the one minute mark.
[5]
Iris Xie: I see Jennifer Lopez has finally made her K-Pop debut. There’s nothing more boring in pop music than having tepid lalalas to convey a neutered idea of sensuality, together with generic “tribal” drums and screechy synths. “Noir” was a lovely song, but this isn’t even a fun misstep, it’s just bland.
[2]