THE BOYZ kick off this week with their latest comeback, ROAR, and their 8th mini-album, BE AWAKE. This is the group’s first release since All About You in December 2022 and WHISPER, the group’s last official comeback prior to today’s new release. It also marks the return of Eric who sat out of promotions with the group since March of last year, including THE BOYZ’s last comeback, due to health issues.

Since the group’s hit The Stealer in 2020, THE BOYZ has been flicking between dark and bright concepts/sounds. THRILL RIDE and WHISPER takes the helm of the brighter concepts/sounds, while The Stealer, MAVERICK and now ROAR fall into the former category. From what I got out of the song, ROAR is an attempt at a sound that is geared towards a more sensual effect without going into the usual sensual motifs that male KPOP groups tend to go with. The song does fall into the R&B category, mixing it with a dance pop sound that allows THE BOYZ to show off their performance and choreography chops (more on that aspect of this comeback later). ROAR opens with a whistle, that is repeated throughout the song and thus becoming a memorable aspect of the song. The chorus, which the whistle mentioned just now appears most readily in, ends up following a similar refrain, just not to the same extent. I did like the vibrancy it brought to the song and there was a ring to it, which I quite enjoyed. But I honestly wished there was more of a zing to the chorus, just to give the song that extra edge and more of a catchy flair. Since I am already talking about edge, I have to mention ROAR“s powerful rapping. It definitely gave ROAR some much needed oomph and definitely highlights the rappers’ potential. Similarly, the dance break that we get packs a punch and adds a further cool/dynamic energy to the song with the more abrasive and intense synths. On the other hand, I felt the vocal work was a lot less impactful. I don’t get much out of it, but I appreciate the intensity and power that the vocalists infuse into the song, especially during the more defined moments of the song. Overall, ROAR is a fair comeback and feels quite on brand for THE BOYZ.

My first impression of this music video was a super big WOW. I am amazed at the quality of the cinematography and post-production for this 3:40 minute music video. The start where they are on clouds was a jaw-dropping beginning and everything that came after lived up to the standard set in the opening moments. The transitions felt flawless, pulling the video together to make a super cohesive piece, which helps brings together the different locations (more on this in a literal second). I also really liked the home video-like shots of the members, which helps add to the edgy vibes of the video. I also liked how it wasn’t just a simple one or two set video. Instead, there was a variety of locations used, which kept everything fresh and nothing ever looked like a copy of a previous scene. The members look super fine throughout the video, especially Juyeon when it came to the dance break. The video depicts them in a way that shows off a more animalistic profile, which goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics and title of the song.

Again, if this performance shows anything, it is definitely that THE BOYZ is a group to not underestimate on the performance/choreography front. This was a bold routine that has a cool and intense factor that feels quite unique to THE BOYZ themselves. The dance break we get prior to the final chorus was fierce, while the slow walk and open leg pivot we get during the chorus has the potential to become iconic.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10