The Singles Jukebox

NEW HAT ALERT!

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[6.56]

Iain Mew: Slice any three seconds out of “Wild” at random and, unless you hit the piano outro booby prize, you’re guaranteed to hit vocals. They frantically fill any space left from the main melody with raps, “oh oh oh”s and even more of the melody stuffed wherever it will fit. That it all works so well is credit to the singers being really good as well as versatile, but also to their ability to ride over the amazing whirs and blips that your slice will hit at least two of.
[8]

Daisy Le Merrer: It starts of like so many K-pop songs with the girls doubling a piano with their “oh oh oh”s and going into a generic couplet about going out. But the squelching synth line gets wilder and wilder, and when the first rapped bit arrives, the song starts living up to its title. This is still pretty unoriginal, but it gets more and more urgent with each new section, until the piano outro ruins things again with its blandness.
[7]

Alfred Soto: The keyboard melody alludes to Roxette’s “Listen To Your Heart,” one of the most quietly influential power ballads of the last twenty years, and a power ballad is what “Wild” sounds like, albeit at warp speed. 
[5]

Patrick St. Michel: This one demonstrates something that K-Pop artists do frequently that I really like – “Wild” sets soft noises up against really harsh sounds, and I like the ensuing sonic conflict. It’s not enough to make this one really stand out, but definitely gives it a boost.
[7]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: A fluctuating electronic buzz sits atop the main melody of Nine Muses’ “Wild,” crackling and beeping away, a surefire second away from bursting into the usual aural pyrotechnics. Interestingly, the group and producers Sweetune bypass this option, making the buzzing set dressing to a set of Daishi Dance-esque dance-balladry. The “no way” bridge is a nice touch, but it’s a mere digression. The conservative “Wild” is refreshing amongst an influx of recent idol groups’ penchant for more-more-more; still, conservatism doesn’t make for incredibly memorable listening.
[5]

Jonathan Bogart: Pushing their voices to maximalist overdrive is one way of going wild, sure. It’s harder to take the heatseeking synth throbs seriously, though.
[6]

Anthony Easton: Most of the points are for the little island of piano sounds in the maelstrom of vocals and electronics.
[6]

Brad Shoup: It sounded like a sturming En Vogue track at half the length; turns out it’s got a heady, sensual message. The quick running time is no joke. There’s time for two rap breaks, and none for breath. The out-of-control brostep buzz hits like a game show alerting you to the wrong answer (not unlike the kettledrum/brass bursts in “Stop and Get a Hold of Myself” by Gladys Knight and the Pips); it hammers every sticky declaration, thrillingly t-boning the lyrical intent. 
[8]

Katherine St Asaph: I just heard this amazing remix of “Another Night.”
[7]