Following their debut with TROUBLE in 2023 (which caught my attention , grew on me considerably, and placed the group on my radar), EVNNE is finally back with their second mini-album, Un: SEEN and their latest title track UGLY.

The aspect of EVNNE’s new song that really sells UGLY to me is its instrumental, which opts for a club-like banger dance motif. The thumping nature of the instrumentation and the bass we get in UGLY is quite satisfying and sets up the song well. Both verses showcases the group’s rapping abilities, giving the song some dynamic moments. On the other hand, more variation on the vocals side would have made UGLY‘s verses more interesting. We do get a better showing of vocals in the bridge, though that sequence also lacks dynamic flair. The rapping and chanting that soon follows the vocals in the bridge are livelier (if not the liveliest moment in the song). But the biggest disappointment for me comes during the chorus. Firstly, I wished there was more oomph of some kind in the centrepiece of UGLY, either through concentration or intensity, so we can really tell the chorus apart from the rest of the instrumentation. There really isn’t anything that sets it apart from the rest of the instrumentation. Secondly, the “We Sla-la-la-la-lay” hook was good, but felt underbaked. It could have been some more profound or its delivery could have had more dimension to feel ‘more baked’. And thirdly, the vocal melodies in the second half of the chorus dulls out the chorus even further. Better vocals do come into play during the chorus (which I appreciate), but it isn’t the catchy centrepiece that I hoped for in UGLY.

The song is about embracing your differences and not caring about what others think about those differences. And in the video, we see just that. The group are depicted as teenagers being picked on by other students, as they are always surrounded by the other students. Throughout the video, we see the members show off their powers in self-defense, which is probably why they were being picked on in the first place. When they do embrace their powers, things become better for the members. They are partying in the club and there are smiles on their faces.

The choreography routine looks great. Its intense, just like the music, and shows off an edgier and darker side to the group. Towards the end, the choreography becomes a little more fun and loose, which I liked. Nothing necessarily stands out on its own in the routine. But like yesterday’s review, it is the whole package that stands out.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10