BTOB made their long awaited comeback earlier this week with their 12th mini-album and their newest single, both sharing the same title Wind And Wish. For BTOB, this is their first release since The Song and Be Together in February 2022. For certain members, they had more recent releases, such as HUTA’s (otherwise known as Lee Minhyuk) BOOM and Lee Changsub’s SURRENDER (which I have yet to review – apologies).

For the most part, Wind And Wish is designed to be a pleasant track. And that is exactly the impression I get from Wind And Wish. It is a mid-tempo pop ballad track that is nicely instrumented with tropical touches and a breezy atmosphere that feels appropriate for the Spring season that Korea is currently in. I liked that the mid-tempo side of the instrumental gives the members a chance to show something other than a ballad, which is ultimately what they are known for. Per the standard with BTOB’s track and given Wind And Wish has some balladry roots, the song does manage to incorporate the usual well-known vocals of the group. We get a few really nice high notes throughout the song and strong vocals across the board. The harmony between Eunkwang, Sungjae and Hyunsik in the bridge was super well done. However, nothing is riveting as it could have been, given that pleasant effect of Wind and Wish. Similar comments can be said about the rapping in Wind And Wish. They feel pretty much toned down and don’t have much of a bite to them. We all know what Peniel and Minhyuk can bring to the table. And whilst this create balance, it does feel lacking. If the raps had a bit more of a punch to them, this would have made Wind And Wish a bit trendier. There were some promising hooks and I did like how the song took it up a notch with the chanty and lively choruses. This felt this was pretty refreshing, and a nice breather from the pleasanter side of the song, without overdoing it and disrupting the song. Overall, I feel that Wind And Wish plays it safe. In some parts of the song, this worked, while it lacked substance in other areas.

The music video for Wind And Wish pretty much has a similar Spring time and breezy atmosphere, going hand-in-hand with what the song sounded like. The flowery field scenes, the warmer lighting and the looser casual outfits feels ideal for the concept that they were going for. Even the rising sun and the red glow from this was an indication that the weather is heating up – but not to the extent of a Summer release. A nicely done video.

The mid-tempo pop nature of the song allows for some light choreography, which works really well with the song, to occur. It is enjoyable to watch, and allows a bit more for an expressive style to show (rather than melancholy vibe, which BTOB has excelled with through their more balladry releases). The latter means BTOB can show a bit more of a playful nature, which they also delivered.

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