[Review] HONEY – Solar (MAMAMOO)

Solar also made her comeback this past week with the title track HONEY and first mini-album, 容: Face. HONEY follows MAMAMOO’s main vocalist’s solo debut from two years ago, Spit It Out.

Like the other solo acts who returned last week, Solar’s return is also of the upbeat variety. This didn’t come as much surprise to me however, given the likes of Spit It Out. HONEY jumps out at me thanks to its dynamic house instrumental. In addition to this, HONEY also thrived on different textures. One segment was minimal, another was smooth, and then really heavy on the thumps. This, to me, made it appealing and striking to listen to. The brass following the chorus was a nice addition, adding a fun vibe to the song. Of course, Solar also plays a big part in making HONEY appealing. Aside from co-penning and co-producing song (obviously a big player in the existence of this song), Solar’s vocals were pretty neat throughout HONEY. I personally thought she did a good job of reflecting that dynamic nature and energy of HONEY through her mixed deliveries and vocal colours. Sure, it might not yet be the showcase of powerhouse vocals that I am sure many of us are waiting from Solar, but it worked well with the instrumental. The hooks and melodies we get helps make HONEY one of the catchiest and memorable songs from the past week, and they work extremely well in tandem with the instrumental. However, I am of the opinion that HONEY did not need rapping, however. The rap sequence in the second verse was probably the dullest segment of the song for me. But apart from that, HONEY was fun, likeable and one of my personal favourite releases of the week.

Another really great aspect of this comeback is the music video. The use of one colour for each shot made the video extremely visually appealing, striking and loud, just like the song. Solar’s visuals throughout the video was top notch, and her stylists put her in some really great outfits that really emphasis the colours that was the theme of the shot. Unfortunately, it isn’t an innovative idea. But Solar and the production team pulled it off, nonetheless.

For the performance, nothing really stood out on its own. But the entire routine was vibrant, which helped make the choreography worth watching. Listening to Solar sing live is always amazing, as well, given how stable she sounds on stage.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

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