AND2BLE is one of the few rookies of the year whose debut track, Curious, I’ve managed to review. This is mainly because the group consists of former members of established groups (ZEROBASEONE and EVNNE), so there was already precedent for reviewing them. Anyhow, AND2BLE had returned with their first comeback single, French Kissing, and their second mini-album, Attraction.
French Kissing features a bold EDM instrumental, heavy moodiness, piercing vocals, and an overdone yet workable chorus hook. The intense EDM instrumental was a selling point. It was rather imposing in the background, but just enough to feel striking, rather than overbearing. I liked the presence of the electric guitar, but I wish they had experimented more with it by featuring varied riffs throughout the song. The same goes for the short string piece before the choruses. These would have made the instrumental a little more interesting. The piercing R&B vocals were good, especially since they had to cut through the heavy instrumental. The bridge was a strong vocal moment, turning French Kissing briefly into a dreamy moment. Not sure how French people are taking the rapping, but it was an interesting aspect of the song. French Kissing could have used more excitement and energy, since the mood was so thick and hefty. That in itself was quite overbearing. The mood really dragged French Kissing down, leaving it with little excitement and a very plain appeal. It also extends into the chorus hook. The first time around, the “Oooh La La La, French kissing” hook was good. But between the heaviness of the song and its delivery, the overly repeated hook and the plainly spoken “French Kissing” part really wore the hook down. I wish there were more vocal melodies to follow it, since that was more interesting.
While heavy, the music also has a sensual, mature sound. So I wish the music video had explored a more sensual, mature concept. The brightness, blue/green colour, and denim focus were stylish, trendy and, in their own way, piercing. But the video’s sleekness, smooth camera work, and even some of the dance moves lend themselves well to a more sensual, mature concept. Beyond that, I don’t have much else to say about the music video.
I was wondering what moves they would use to represent French kissing, given that it’s the song’s title. I completely forgot that air kisses were a thing. Anyway, as I mentioned above, the dance moves do take on a more sensual direction, which I thought was cool. I also liked how the routine felt constrained and held back, which makes its more intense and alluring to watch.
Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10
