The Singles Jukebox

The “Livin’ La Vida Loca” reference makes me wonder what we would have given “The Thong Song”…

[Video]
[5.12]

Michelle Myers: Stray Kids work best with a light touch and a wink. The harder they seem to try, the more tedious the results. “Chk Chk Boom” doesn’t reach their pandemic era heights, but it is their best title track since 2022’s “Maniac.” Changbin’s gravelly, rolled r’s are the highlight, but I’m also charmed the lyrics–innuendos so excessively bowdlerized that they add much needed levity.
[7]

Taylor Alatorre: These variegated vignettes of boys’ noise are intended to show off how wild and untamable and “catastrophic” the crew is; their apparent fear that the robo-reggaeton riddim would be incomplete without some pidgin Spanish grafted onto it tells a different story. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” deserves better than to be made a proxy for “donde esta la biblioteca.”
[4]

Nortey Dowuona: This is dallasK’s fault. (Also Bang Chan, but I expect young industry professionals to be either circumspect or self indulgent.) Also, what is with the terrible reggaeton drums?
[1]

Ian Mathers: [watches music video] “Huh, you know, K-pop is starting to feel a bit like pop’s equivalent of the MCU.”
[5]

Harlan Talib Ockey: My impression of Stray Kids up to now has been that the production does most of the heavy lifting, and “Chk Chk Boom” isn’t exactly proving me wrong. This warped reggaeton beat is an immediate [10]. The verses are more cohesive than, say, “God’s Menu”, and at their best (Han & Felix, 1:25-1:35) they’re genuinely delightful. I’m very tempted to deduct a few points for the agonizingly forced Deadpool & Wolverine promo, but that probably isn’t fair on Stray Kids themselves.
[7]

Katherine St. Asaph: Today in US politics: NRA types are attempting to smear vice presidential nominee and avowed pheasant hunter Tim Walz as a fake and unconvincing gun guy — in gunfucker terminology, a “Fudd.” I have to assume they haven’t heard Stray Kids’ poseurish “rat-tat-tat-tat”s. The synth kinda sounds like Mya’s “Step,” though, so I can’t hate it too much.
[6]

John S. Quinn-Puerta: I do feel like name dropping “Livin’ La Vida Loca” on a song that stutters through its rhythmic identity shouldn’t work this well. But the lack of stability on the beat is half the point, forcing me to stay on my toes while I find a flow to dance to.
[8]

Hannah Jocelyn: What is this trying to be? Is that a trap beat? A dembow beat? A four on the floor stomp? It’s trying to be dazzling but the beat switches are indistinguishable so I’m just left confused. It just throws a bunch of shit at the wall for two minutes, trying to be zany but refusing to commit to the bit. The festival version is better because it’s bland.
[3]