BOYNEXTDOOR will be making their official comeback early next month with their 1st studio album, HOME. But kicking off the promotions for the comeback is the pre-release single ddok ddok ddok (똑똑똑; ‘ddok’ being the Korean word that describes the knocking sound, which is very fitting song title for BOYNEXTDOOR – see their debut concept). It’s their first release since Hollywood Action last year.

While BOYNEXTDOOR isn’t unfamiliar with hip-hop, their take on the genre has been more vibrant, bright and fun. And this is what I quite like about them. Their music ends up different to other acts who also explore the same genre and their playful take makes it easier for their songs to become earwormy and memorable. ddok ddok ddok hears BOYNEXTDOOR attempt a completely different take on hip-hop than usual, with the instrumental swapping out playfulness for seriousness. While exploration of different sounds and styles definitely should be encouraged, it shouldn’t come at the expense of individuality and personality. Here, ddok ddok strips out BOYNEXTDOOR’s personality and opts for pretty much a plain hip-hop approach which doesn’t differentiate it from the other hip-hop acts. I will admit that the “ddok ddok ddok, BND/1,2,3” lines in the choruses are catchy. But beyond that, there isn’t much else to remember the song by. I don’t feel much from the rest of ddok ddok ddok. Nor their delivery, especially since I felt like the members blurred together into one person in this song. I do hope that ddok ddok ddok is just an isolated case – I have grown to like BOYNEXTDOOR’s music, and wish for their vibrant and fun take on hip-hop returns.

While the music itself doesn’t sit right with me, the music video does for a number of reasons. Firstly, the members themselves look really good throughout the video. Secondly, the members’ interactions (or lack thereof) with the people around them actually gives off a cool aesthetic in the video. Thirdly, when it came to the group scenes like in the choreography shots, it is interesting to see how one member is always the one in focus, while everyone else is doing their thing (either posing or dancing) alongside that one member, but their actions doesn’t distract or take the focus away from the member in the spotlight. Clever use of camera angles, lighting and use of space.

From the music video, the routine for ddok ddok ddok looks intense and sharp, particularly when it came to the choruses. Unfortunately, with the members trying to balance delivery of the song with microphones, the live stages so far haven’t reach the full potential that the music video promises. You can definitely feel and see a difference when it comes to their dance break towards the end of the song.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10