(G)I-DLE is definitely this year’s monster rookie. Despite only just debuting, the ladies have already won a handful of weekly music show awards and have definitely already made a name for themselves in both domestic and international markets. They are still promoting at the moment and are still being nominated left, right and centre.
1. LATATA (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of LATATA. (8/10)
2. $$$ (달라 ) – $$$ is a great continuation of the hip-hop genre that is (G)I-DLE is clearly owning. One of the first things that is most apparent is that the song feels like it is a mashup of multiple songs. Despite that, the song flows neatly and there are no overlaps to create awkward moments. The song has amazing hooks and the differing styles between parts make it memorable. The rapping was pretty good in the song. I think the major issue is that while they had strong moments, it felt short-lived with the constant changes. I wished they continued with the strong moments rather than cutting it up. (8.5/10)
3. Maze – Maze is a R&B track infused with their hip-hop styles mentioned above. Honestly, I liked everything about the song. I really liked the instrumental of the entire track, including the very end, which I thought was extremely dynamic. The explosive nature of the chorus really gives the song some energy, which goes well with their softer guitar verses. Both the rapping and vocals were on point. I cannot fault this at all and is my favourite track off the album. (10/10)
4. Don’t Text Me – While the song takes on the R&B genre, likes its predecessor, it is a lot softer. It also has good rapping and vocals here. The instrumental reminds me of R&B back in the day but the use of synths really gives it a modern feel. You can also describe the instrumental as smooth with the synths added some texture. It does get a little dry towards the end but it is another great song from the group. (9/10)
5. What’s In Your House? (알고 싶어) – The song opens with a funky and groovy beat, which features the extremely catchy ‘What’s In Your House‘ repetition. It is another R&B track but I find it extremely soft to the point where you can include this in a café’s playlist. The rapping gives the song some texture and also prevented it from becoming too boring. The bridge was a complete slowdown (which I am not really a fan of) but they managed to recover the energy by going back to the catchy hook. (9/10)
6. Listen To Me (들어줘요) – Here we have the one song that conforms the album to a typical girl group album. The presence of the mandatory ballad. I am not disappointed by it, however, as it does show that the girls can be versatile. The song showcases amazing vocals and harmonies from each member (including the rapper). This makes the song captivating and end the album on a soft yet delicate note. (8/10)
Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10
