It is time to finally review a release from a new group – ALL(H)OURS, a seven member male group (consisting of Kunho, Youmin, Xayden, Minje, Masami, Hyunbin, and On:N) under EDEN Entertainment. They officially debuted back in January 2024 with the single GOTCHA and mini-album ALL OURS. Unfortunately, I have not reviewed that release yet and will return to review it in the future. Today’s focus is on their latest release, SHOCK, which is the title track off their 2nd mini-album WITNESS. This dropped earlier in the month.

Very noisy is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of SHOCK. But for some reason, many people associate noisy with a bad song. That isn’t the case with SHOCK. Rather, I find the entire track to be super powerful from the get-go. The instrumental itself is one layer to this powerfulness – appearing quite boastful from the onset. The more electronic leaning synth work is super riveting, engaging me from the very first second it appears. The heavy beats give the background a compelling factor, while the chorus has this super defined trance-like synth that gives so much body to SHOCK. Another layer to the powerfulness is the shouty and chanty nature of ALL(H)OURS’ delivery. This is a style of delivery that doesn’t work in some songs, but I find it was well used in SHOCK. Firstly, the members needed to be heard over the background. Secondly, they needed to complement the high-octane energy that SHOCK exudes. Thirdly, it gives definition to song, which is already quite full-on, as you can hear. ALL(H)OURS’ aggressive rapping fits in well in SHOCK, as well. SHOCK‘s various hooks also manage to stand out, thanks to the group’s delivery. The “Woop Woop” in the chorus is definitely my favourite. Probably the most uninteresting part of the song is its bridge, which allows the vocalists to shine. It did bring some relief in this energetic track, but my attention is always reverted on SHOCK‘s chorus when the energy is at its highest.

The music video for SHOCK adopts a choreography and closeup formula that I have always mentioned is a bland approach. In this instance, I might go back on that mentality, as I thought the music video ALL(H)OURS had released for this comeback worked really well. Part of it was the fact the song was high-octane, so the different shots just kept on moving onto the next. Nothing felt dragged out for a second longer than it should be. Secondly, the post-production actually made it look cool. I particularly thought the spikes coming out of one of the members was an intriguing moment. Finally, the styling was interesting (in a good way). The colour was more reserved for the background, and the members wore outfits that were bland or predominately beige to allow said colour to pop out further. A different approach to what we have seen previously in KPOP.

If this performance was anything to go by, ALL(H)OURS is a rookie group to watch out for! The start of the routine with the finger tutting (I think that is what you call it) was a really bold and intriguing way to start the performance. Throughout the routine, the members really matched the energy of the song with their moves and aggressive demeanor. It was a really captivating stage performance to watch!

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10