The Singles Jukebox

#RejectedSongTitlesFromPurpose

[Video][Website]
[4.18]

Madeleine Lee: Now this is more like it! Where iKON’s last round of singles consisted of a lullaby and a paint-by-numbers trap song, with “What’s Wrong?” and “Dumb & Dumber” they’ve found a solid direction that isn’t just “here are some genres.” And yeah, it sounds like present-day Big Bang, but in these songs there’s a spirit of exploration that Big Bang seems to have given up on, on the assumption that they’ve found it all. “Dumb & Dumber” is “Bang Bang Bang” as a jock jam; “What’s Wrong?” grounds the festival rock of “Crooked” and “Sober” with Actual Teen angst and more glam synths, and while it ultimately comes out overcooked compared to its keep-it-simple-stupid predecessors (that fake record slowdown into the bridge, ugh), I appreciate the effort anyway.
[5]

Micha Cavaseno: Why is it that these groups will always stay impressively on point sometimes with R&B/rap in doing their best to stay with the times, but every time one of these groups attempts to “rock out,” the best they can come up with is something that sounds like an Aly & AJ cast-off?
[2]

Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa: There’s no doubt that Bobby and B.I, the de facto leaders of iKON, are very talented. The problem is that the concept for this band has been seriously misdirected. With “What’s Wrong?” they go for the party-starting EDM route, and while the chorus has a nice ring to it, the rest of the song falls short in every aspect. It’s obvious that YG is looking for a right successor to Big Bang (with both iKON and WINNER), but replicating their sound is not gonna take them anywhere, even if the sales are high. 
[5]

Iain Mew: With Big Bang no longer doing this kind of shouty rock semi-ballad, it makes sense for someone else to step in, but they sound precisely as sloppy and half as charismatic.
[3]

Jonathan Bogart: If you’re going to snarl, make me believe you’ll bite.
[5]

Cassy Gress: This is barely a [5], and it really should be a [7] or an [8], and that vexes me tremendously. There are so many good pieces here, and all of them are just underdone or poorly performed. Donghyuk, who gets the pre-choruses, has a very obnoxiously nasal voice. The opening vocals (“if you ever loved somebody say yeah”) sound like Kidz Bop vocals to me.  The guitars and bass are mixed too low and need a harsher, grungier sound, and the drums sound cheap. And ughh about that damn “I unplugged the stereo, party over” vwerrrp sound just before the vocals begin, which serves no conceivable purpose. But, you look up the lyrics, and it’s spot on! The speed and F-G-Am chord progression work really well together! Jinhwan has a real early-00s American alt-rock sound in his voice! You think about how this would have sounded with better singers, with better mixing, and this could have been a much better song.
[5]

Alfred Soto: The Black Eyed Peas, still an influence.
[3]

Thomas Inskeep: Fewer guitars than 5SOS, but a similar attitude – and better songs.
[6]

Will Adams: Shame, the intro had me really excited for some melancholic electropop. Instead I got snot-laden bubblegum punk.
[4]

Patrick St. Michel: Whereas before they embraced seemingly “cool” sounds a little too closely, here iKON say screw it and go all in on gooey, unhip sentimentality for the better. It’s a song about a disintegrating relationship where the drop ends up being a scream-along hook fit for rock radio. Still, earnestness can’t hide the bony awkwardness of B.I screaming “yo DJ, funk this party.”
[5]

Brad Shoup: They should’ve stuck to negging idols.
[3]