IZ*ONE is nominated for Best Female Group in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Vote for IZ*ONE and your other favourite artists by clicking here!

Despite the continuation of the voting manipulation scandal in the Produce 101 shows that brought us some of the biggest project groups in KPOP, IZ*ONE is the one group that has continually pushed through it all. Today, the group made their comeback with their fourth mini-album, One-Reeler, and the title track Panorama. The group did unofficially drop the new song yesterday by performing it at the 2020 MAMA Awards, which I am sure many of you tuned into. Panorama joins IZ*ONE’s 2020 releases, which includes Fiesta, Secret Story of the Swan and Beware.

As mentioned yesterday, my first exposure to Panorama was via the 2020 MAMA Awards. My first impression of the song was definitely quite positive and it peaked my interest. Panorama seems to take the iconic elements of both their previous title tracks and merged it into one. What do I mean by this? Well, Fiesta had all these high pitched synths and sound effects, while Secret Story of the Swan had that really dramatic flair thanks to the bass. It seems like these two elements come together to really form a powerful track for IZ*ONE. But it just wasn’t the merger of these two songs. Panorama does a lot more. There is really strong vocals from the members. This was definitely necessary, given the powerfulness of the synths in Panorama. I honestly thought these synths would have drowned out the members, as IZ*ONE usually sings with a higher pitch. But here, the members pushed themselves to make sure they are heard. The melodies and hooks were pretty catchy, as well. There were some really cool violins in the background and I love the post-chorus instrumental break, where the rush of energy was coming from. I also really liked the final part following the final chorus, which was a wonderful cap to the song. Overall, Panorama impresses. There was just so much energy and intensity that I just cannot get out of my head.

One of the elements of the performance yesterday that caught my attention were their outfits. And this music video amps up that appeal for me. Their outfits are stunning throughout the video. From the dresses/outfits they don in their solo shots to the really simple yet fashionable outfits they wore whilst dancing, everything looked stunning. The sets in this music video were stunning as well. I really liked how much classy flair there was. The music video does take on that closeup and choreography format, but that was not an issue here as all of the above really stood out for me. The cinematography was also as captivating throughout, keeping up with the pace of the song but also making sure the members looked amazing.

The choreography looks really good. It keeps up with the intensity, yet still has a bit of a casual nature and elegance to it. I particularly enjoyed the routine that accompanied the energy rush after the main choruses. It started off with some footwork, before incorporating some arm movements and then whole body moves.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10