An all-female band is a rare sight in KPOP, so I am eager to feature LATENCY on my blog in one way or another. But with departures that left the band with just one member at one point this year, and the addition of 3 new members more recently, it will be interesting to see where the band goes. Since this post is for LATENCY’s debut song, I will focus on introducing the 5-member lineup here and save the newer lineup for when I review a new song. LATENCY debuted in January this year with a lineup of Heejin (from LOONA and Loosemmeble), Jeewon, Haeun, and Semi (all former members of cignature), and Heeyeon (a YouTuber and the only member still in LATENCY today), with the single It Was Love.
Another reason I was eager to feature LATENCY on my blog was It Was Love itself. At first glance, it was a straightforward track that honestly didn’t seem like much. It features a gentle yet ordinary band instrumental with a solid beat, and the members’ restrained vocals are extremely pleasant, but it isn’t on the level that I would usually dig into. But the “Da Da Da” opener and the mentioned restrained approach of It Was Love became catchy and appealing, respectively, for me. With these pulling me in, the rest of It Was Love fell into place. While my take on the song’s instrumental and vocal impression hasn’t really changed over time, I have grown to enjoy the other elements of It Was Love. I really like the filtered vocals that follow the chorus. It gives the vocals a different texture and tone, which makes it really stand out. The chorus melodies become a memorable element that I often find myself humming along to. The guitar solo was a great effort, and the key change in the final chorus adds neat complexity to what comes off as a straightforward track.
Unfortunately, there’s no official music video. Instead, they released a live clip of the band performing It Was Love. It wasn’t flashy, but it did the job of introducing us to the band and the song. They played in a warehouse, added some lights, and let the members do their thing without anything getting in the way or distracting us from the band and song.
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10
