NIziU is JYP Entertainment’s resident Japanese female group, who made their debut back in 2020, following their formation through the survival program Nizi Project. Since then, they have released an abundance of title tracks, including Step and a Step, Take A Picture, Poppin’ Shakin’, Clap Clap, Paradise and Coconut. But today, NiziU makes their South Korean debut with the single album Press Play and the title track HEARTRIS.

HEARTRIS is a playful and cutesy synth-pop track that, from what I know of NiziU, suits the group quite well. If you haven’t noticed, the song’s title, HEARTRIS, is a play on the ‘Heart’ and the infamous ‘Tetris’ game. Parts of the synth work for this song resembles the 8-bit style of the background tune that you hear while playing a game of Tetris. But to suit the group and give it some modern zing, HEARTRIS‘ background is a lot poppier and much more colourful, which still works super well. We also get some cool piano-like work in the verses’ background and a dreamier motif that serves as the song’s pre-chorus. It is definitely a nice relief from the constantly energy that comes from the 8-bit styled instrumental. The vocal work HEARTRIS is super strong, working effortlessly to convey the cutesy melodies that are contained in this song. The rapping was also a great addition to the song, giving HEARTRIS a tinge of cool energy to make the song feel less ‘overly cute’. HEARTRIS‘ hooks are super catchy and addictive, as well. My favourite has to be the sing-song chanty “I’m coming down” post-chorus hook, which I honestly cannot get out of my mind. Overall, HEARTRIS is a very strong debut for the young yet seasoned group.

The music video sees the group following Felix (from Stray Kids), who is definitely known for his handsome looks. At first, I thought the group were following him because they had a crush on him, which is the path in which I would expect most KPOP music videos to go down. But instead, it turns out that they were following him for the blue teddy bear attached to his backpack. And Felix, well, he ended up falling into the manhole in the road. Guess it is not his day. Later on, it shown that the members have been busy, hunting for the teddy bears (and tricking countless people, at the same time) and have only one left to find. And that final teddy bear happens to go past their basement windows, which causes all of the members to spring into action to retrieve the bear (using whatever means necessary). Honestly, this was a very refreshing and lively take on a common KPOP music video trope, and makes for an interesting watch. I also like the anime version of the members and Felix.

The choreography for this debut is super cool. I really liked their use of angles in the routine, especially with the tutting we see towards the end. This angles is definitely the most recognisable part of the Tetris game, so it is a nice element to have in the choreography to connect the concept and the choreography together. The synchronisation and the members’ bubbly expressions, from what I can see in the music video, are also worth mentioning.

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