The Singles Jukebox

Mourning, more like…

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[3.12]

Kayla Beardslee: We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and the Second Hall: Aespa and CLC and early Everglow fell there bravely, while the rest retreated to retro concepts. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes… drops, drops in the deep. We cannot get out. The shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out… Blackpink’s influence is coming.
[0]

Anna Katrina Lockwood: This title track is such a total misjudgement of Itzy’s strengths. It plods where it should zip, and it snoozes where it should leap. Itzy are more than capable of carrying a minimalist track through on their charm alone, but prior examples have depended on their ability to communicate their joyous energy, which is impossible within a song so leaden as “In the Morning.” Ryujin is the only member who seems to have found a groove amidst all the Teddy-isms, and her verse is a cool moment of respite. But even her best efforts aren’t enough to salvage anything particularly interesting or noteworthy from this song. 
[2]

Tobi Tella: The Blackpinkification of other girl groups is not necessarily a bad thing; I’m all for some obnoxious over the top pop production. Unfortunately, you can tell this isn’t in their wheelhouse — every time they try and sell the focus-grouped (by someone evil) mafia line, it falls more on the line of cringe than boast. It’s so concerned with cribbing style that the euphoria people associate with the genre is gone. It moves, it doesn’t sound terrible, but it’s just not fun.
[4]

Alfred Soto: “In the Morning” approximates what I imagine when Itzy comes up: Itzy bitzy spiders creeping into your brain. The keyboards — long-legged and persistent — match the intensity of their vocals. Still, rather faceless.
[6]

Vikram Joseph: Gritty low-end, staccato squawks of synth and a liberal dose of sass make “In The Morning” a convincing confluence of its influences; it’s pitched somewhere between Cardi B and the Pussycat Dolls, and if that’s the extent of their ambitions then this is fine, I guess.
[5]

Katie Gill: Remember when Itzy had a musical identity that wasn’t simply knockoff BLACKPINK?
[4]

Michael Hong: “In the Morning” asks Itzy to work against their greatest asset: their charisma. Small hints arise, like Ryujin and Yeji doing their best to add variation in tempo and dynamics to those spiritless raps, but most of “In the Morning” is spent staring blankly in the dark. The other variation, that annoyingly exaggerated “ring ding ding ding ding ding,” is anything but charming.
[1]

Samson Savill de Jong: Who knew that the Crazy Frog was a mafia kingpin all along?
[3]