IZ*ONE is nominated for Best Female Group and Best Female Choreography. Violeta is also eligible for Best Song of 2019. To support IZ*ONE and your other favourite artists, click here to vote before the 31st of December (which is 10 days away!)

The review catch-up blitz (I really need to think of a better name for this) is also applicable to the many Japanese releases that I have missed out. And there is a lot to cover in the two final Saturdays of the year. IZ*ONE, a month or two prior to the ongoing voting controversy and the postponement of their Korean comeback, made their Japanese comeback with Vampire. The track was officially released at the end of September and I personally apologize that it had taken me this long to review it. But as many say, better late than never.

We have seen the two sides of the spectrum when it comes to IZ*ONE’s Japanese releases. From the amazingly sounding I Want To Say I Love You to the poorly pieced Buenos Aires, it is safe to say that Vampire sits in between the two extremes. Where it lies on the spectrum exactly is up to debate. Vampire has a really nice Latin inspired instrumental. It felt polished and I think it could have been an amazing backdrop. It just is a mega pity that Vampire ended up getting vocals similar to Buenos Aires. The cutesy sound that feels very stereotypical of Japanese female groups pop release just did not fit the instrumentation. Though it is a little bearable compared to Buenos Aires. There are hooks in the song worth mentioning, but they come off lackluster thanks to the poor vocals. I really hope that (if given the opportunity) IZ*ONE will ditch whoever is producing their recent J-POP tracks and return with something like I Want To Say I Love You that shows off maturity and style.

Interestingly, the music video for Vampire is pretty well produced. With a title such as Vampire, I don’t think cutesy bow ties and polka dots would cut it. Hence, a dark concept such as this really worked well. The sets were stunning, the members outfits looked very dark and even the post-production looked very promising. I am not exactly sure what the music video is showing but it seems like it shows the members turning into vampire. I thought the bridge (being the best part of the song for me) was very nicely put together in this video as well.

The choreography looked like it was confusing about being mature or cutesy. And hence, it looked very weird. Naturally, I am drawn to every move that isn’t cutesy, as I think that is more fitting for their concept. The bridge was the best part (once again), with the moves and formations looking bold.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.1/10