Making their comeback just yesterday was Dreamcatcher, with their 10th mini-album titled Virtuous and the lead single JUSTICE. This new release follows on from their 9th mini-album VillainS and the single OOTD, which was released back in November last year.

My final comments in the song section of my OOTD review was that it lacked the spark that makes it feel like a Dreamcatcher song. The first thing that came to my mind when I listened to JUSTICE yesterday was that they regained that missing spark. When you compare the two songs side by side, the main difference (for me, at least) is a powerful force. And JUSTICE is indeed a powerful track. Like all Dreamcatcher title tracks, JUSTICE definitely finds its roots in the rock genre. But the producers do a little more to the edges of the song to make it feel unique, and not a have JUSTICE repeat or rehash the rock genre again and again. The dramatic and sinister percussion that features as the main backing of the verses felt very theatric. There was also a touch of electronic influence in the chorus, as a result of the autotune that made the high notes of the song choppy. The pre-chorus of JUSTICE also brought forth a ‘We Will Rock You‘ type of vibe. All of these were really cool elements in JUSTICE and helps exude that powerful nature I mentioned the song having. Alongside all of that, the successive high notes that make up the chorus also aligns and allows the members (yes, they were pulled off by multiple members, not just one!) to contribute towards that same powerful force that makes JUSTICE empowering. Given the song’s use of high notes in the choruses, I did wonder how the the producers would top them as part of the final chorus, as just maintaining the same chorus without much change have been an injustice (ha!) to the song. But the ad-libs high note on top of the usual high notes in the final chorus worked like a charm and definitely helped sign off the song in a satisfying manner. Overall, I really liked JUSTICE and the return to form it brought along with it.

JUSTICE (the song) conveys the message that all people are heroes, if they fight for their beliefs and idea of justice (taken from SOOMPI). And while the music video doesn’t have much of an explicit plotline, the video does portray the members being limited in the beginning, breaking free and fighting for themselves (and others). We see SIYEON throw away the dark crown, which was shown at the start alongside the words “For the souls swallowed by the abyss of malevolence“, which makes it represent the idea that some people’s souls become corrupt and this cause them to become ‘evil’ people. I did think the video was a little light on the individual shots, which could have portrayed a bit more of that implicit storyline. Also thought the choreography scenes were a little bare, as they were mainly in that big art gallery-like room.

Days before the comeback, it was announced that SIYEON would be sitting out of promotions due to health reasons. That does leaving a gaping hole for the promotions, given SIYEON’s position as main vocalist. However, SUA and HANDONG step to take over SIYEON’s high note without any problems. Good on them! As for the dance, I thought it looked good. Nothing really stood out to me, but it definitely showcased some artistic flair and a powerful side to the group.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10