Finally getting around to writing a review for Rocket Punch’s Ring Ring. The female group from Woolim Entertainment made their comeback on May 17 (a while back now) with a new single album which shares the same name as the title track. This is Rocket Punch’s first comeback since the release of Juicy back in August 2020. A week after the release of their new song, Rocket Punch was confirmed to be making their Japanese debut, so there is a chance you will be seeing Rocket Punch back on this blog with a review of their debut single (provided that it isn’t a Japanese version of their Korean title tracks). But until then, here are my thoughts for Ring Ring.

Ring Ring taps into the retro trend. But while we have heard numerous songs of this style in just this the first half of 2021, I have to admit that Ring Ring actually comes off as quite wholesome and likeable. And this alone is a huge improvement from their previous comeback, which I did not enjoy to say the least. Ring Ring features 80s retro metallic synths as the main instrumentation of the song, creating a fun and energetic sound that is synonymous with the retro genre. Ring Ring is particularly good when the song is turned up. While any song would sound better at a higher volume, the higher pitch at which the instrumentation and vocals are at within Ring Ring really need that oomph to stand out and hence benefits at the high volume. The group’s processed and high pitched vocals actually compliment the retro synths in a good way. While I do feel that their vocals were a tinge too cutesy, I do like how they felt bold at the same time, which is a definite plus when it came to the chorus allowing them to be heard on top of the instrumentation. To me, the weakest part of the song is the rap sequence we get in the second verse. It has a trap-centric approach to the instrumentation which felt generic and didn’t really feel retro, given everything surrounding it was retro based. The rap sequence in the bridge was much better and provided a really strong rebuild, launching us into the final chorus. The best part of the song has to be the pre-chorus. Everything in pre-choruses was very ear-catching and well-defined. It was also a really go lead into the chorus, connecting the chorus with the verse in a really cool fashion. Overall, Ring Ring is definitely their best title track yet. Hopefully, Rocket Punch (and their company) can continue the this trajectory.

I really like the sets. They felt very 80s, matching up with the synths and instrumentation of the song. I particularly really liked the massive gas station set. I know, it is just a gas station. But in this music video, it was really cool and tall. In the video, the members wait around for a phone call. Based on the lyrics (Ring Ring is about choosing between two potential love interests, boldly expressing that the subject of the song will go to whoever rings her phone first – taken from Soompi), the members are awaiting a phone call from one of two partners. There is a lot of ringing of all sorts which the members seem to mistaken for the phone. But in the end, the member answered a ringing phone (which came out of a fridge). I am glad that the video didn’t slip into an overly cutesy concept, keeping me onboard for its three and a half minute run.

The choreography did tap into the cutesy side of things. But I won’t hold it against them. It actually worked well with the song and showed off their youthful charms on stage. I particularly like their moves during the song’s main hook. Don’t know why, but it felt very retro and hence suitable for this song.

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