BOYNEXTDOOR has returned, re-releasing their 1st studio album, HOME, from earlier in the year as HOME: DELUXE. The new release adds 5 new songs to the original tracklist (led by VIRAL and ddok ddok ddok). One of these new singles is the title track ANIMAL.

ANIMAL sees BOYNEXTDOOR opt for a harder sound, with an intense production that unleashes a wilder side of the group. I really enjoyed was the electro-funk synths in the instrumental and a head-banging beat that makes me want to do just that during the choruses (more on that in a second). The beginning gives us a slight taste of what is to come later on in the song, but more importantly, it grabbed my attention straight away. I personally don’t care much for the verses. Some of it was good, but most of it was pretty forgettable. ANIMAL‘s strongest moment is, without a doubt, its chorus. The amplification of both instrumentation and intensity, the rush from the tempo and the simple repetition of the song’s title were super effective and addictive. While I tend to umm and uhh about repetition, the rest of the chorus makes it interesting enough and makes the chorus package more enticing and appealing. I guess the biggest issue I have with ANIMAL is that it strips a lot of the members’ style and blurs all of their delivery together, which I don’t tend to like. It would have been nice to hear more of the members’ individualistic style in ANIMAL.

The members portrayed uncontrollable people who wreak havoc everywhere they go. They show their animalistic side. They cause destruction in the neighbourhood, at worksites, public places, and even crash a wedding. Animal rescuers track them down and tranquillize them at the wedding to stop the chaos, and I liked the abstract way they show them being subdued with the computer/data visual effects. I would have liked it if the video explored more of that underground lair situation that we see after they get subdued – it looked intriguing. Overall, it was a fun and wild video to watch.

The members really put all their energy into making the performance dynamic. This effort alone really strengthens the performance aspect of the comeback. In the choreography, we see animal poses and movements, which suits the song literally. It was also wild and busy (with the use of dancers to enhance this quite clever), which suited the music and intensity of ANIMAL.

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