From a review focusing on the major release from the start of the week, I am now time jumping to the end of the week to review the major release of today, ITZY’s LOCO. It is the title track off their 1st studio album since debut (titled Crazy In Love), which also dropped today. This is the group’s second comeback of the year, following April’s M.A.F.I.A (In The Morning).

I felt that LOCO was a return to form for the group, following the not-so-good M.A.F.I.A from earlier this year. If you want to know about my thoughts on M.A.F.I.A, feel free to read that review. LOCO still retains that edgy side of their previous song, but the new song also re-enters that vibrant arena in which ITZY’s earlier releases lie in that I have mentioned. What really stands out to me in LOCO is the song’s energy, which to me, is thanks to the bass and the electric guitars we hear in the background. The bass was like a common thread tying the different and distinct sections of the song together. It also added that definition and helps the song pack a punch, which complimented the rock influence. The electric guitars in the background delivers this rock influence, taking the song to a whole new level of me. I do think LOCO has potential to be more electrifying and hardcore. I think if the producers did this, LOCO would have been boosted to new heights. The bombastic nature of the start was a great entrance into the song and I liked how that was also continued throughout the song as well. LOCO also had a Latin influence, which was an intriguing influence to have in this mix. When it comes to the vocals and rapping, I thought both elements were rather strong and bold, which was definitely necessary to stand out over the instrumentation. The members definitely had a good handle on this. The melodies in the chorus and elsewhere were appreciable and felt like it did a good job of balancing the high energy that came from the raps. Overall, I thought LOCO was a strong song and definitely it took me back to their earlier days. However, I am definitely of the opinion that the song would have flourished if all their influences were more concentrated and intense (i.e. more of that rock!).

The music video for this comeback is fantastic. While the song doesn’t have that colourful tinge to it as per their earlier works, I felt this colour was definitely made up in the video. I also liked how that the video managed to convey edgy side of the song as well, which helped made the video feel so much more dynamic. I also felt a bit of epicness from the video when it came to the ‘Crazy In Love‘ billboard and the stage performance we were treated to, following the interlude within the video. I just wished the producers of the video CGI in a crowd for that part, as that would have really heightened the energy and ended the video on such a high note. Elsewhere, the post-production in this video really highlights the high quality of the video.

The performance was another highlight of this comeback. I really liked the powerful energy that came through, especially for the chorus, along with the attitude that sends a ‘you don’t want to mess with us’ message. This just really highlights their stage presence. The main move seems to be the holding of and shaking of the head, which makes sense, given that ‘LOCO‘ is Spanish for ‘crazy’. It is definitely a worthwhile watch.

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