It has been over a year since we last heard from fromis_9 through their #menow comeback and Unlock My World album. While a comeback for this group should have been sooner, it took one member (Chaeyoung) to complain publicly in May about their lack of comebacks for their company to announce the group’s comeback for this month. That resulted in the release of Supersonic, which is the focus of this review.

It took me two listens to fall for Supersonic. I acknowledged how good the song was on the first listen, but Supersonic hit really hard upon the second listen. It has been on repeat since. The instrumental is a relatively simple aspect of Supersonic. The pulsing Miami bass beats give Supersonic so much body, while the percussive synths are wonderfully light yet textural enough to give the track added vibrancy. One of the things that surprised me was how much I enjoyed the consistent instrumental. It was all very similar throughout Supersonic. Normally, I would have commented on how it negatively impacts the quality of the song. But the producers of Supersonic do just enough in that space to ensure it doesn’t feel that way. A good example is the backing of Jiwon’s part in the second verse. It ‘roughened’ the trajectory of Supersonic briefly, with Jiwon’s lines delivering her lines perfectly. Talking about delivery, the standout elements in Supersonic are the members, who were extremely charming throughout. Once Supersonic‘s chorus started, Supersonic felt like a fromis_9 song to me. DM flashed into my mind during my first listen, and it is always the first song that comes to mind when I think of fromis_9’s sound. The melodies of the two songs are different, but their delicateness is a common factor throughout both songs. The dragged-out words in the opening line of the chorus were done so well and emphasised a refreshing vibe in the song. Supersonic manages to also infuse a slightly edgier vibe to it, which was intriguing. Even the ‘Super Super, Supersonic, Supersonic‘ rap-speak hook was done so softly (which aligns with the idea of fromis_9’s sound being delicate) but yet so punchy simultaneously. Put all of this together, and Supersonic is a strong addition to fromis_9’s repertoire.

The video captures Supersonic‘s refreshing vibes extremely well. The slight breeze in the music video, the group’s casual attire, and the water explosions provide a sprinkle in the final set of choreography scenes. All of this just makes Supersonic an ideal video for the summer season. The members themselves look amazing throughout the video. I just kind of wished there was a bit more to the video. It just doesn’t feel complete to me. But truthfully, I am not entirely sure what the music video lacks.

Choreography-wise, I thought it was good. That delicateness that I mentioned in the song portion of this post felt reflected and worked nicely with the song’s vocals. The first move during the ‘Super Super, Supersonic Supersonic‘ part was somewhat familiar – NewJeans’ Super Shy came to mind. BUT fromis_9 took it in a completely different direction after that move, so don’t get me wrong. I also liked how the members ended the performance, standing in a singular line and walking off to the sides like models as the song finished.

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