KPOP is a very populous and busy industry, which unfortunately means I cannot always keep up with new releases and groups. One of the groups I know I am missing from the blog’s coverage is NOWZ. But that changes today! NOWZ debuted back in 2024 under the name NOWADAYS with a 5-member lineup (HYEONBIN, YOON, YEONWOO, JINHYUK and SIYUN) under CUBE Entertainment. They rebranded as NOWZ a year later and most recently returned with the single Achilles. I do plan to return to more of NOWZ’s discography in the future.
What I liked about Achilles (enough to actually set aside and review it this time) is its simplicity and straightforwardness. Achilles is a groovy disco dance track, which, if you know me, is actually a favourite sound of mine in KPOP. The synths in this track felt quite classy, which I found charming. But what I like most is that the groove is relatively soft and not “in your face”. This refined approach gives the track a more sophisticated feel, adding a fresh appeal and dimension to the funky sound. I also find this approach allows NOWZ’s vocals to really shine, which is another appealing aspect for Achilles. Their vocals previously caught my attention with Fly To The Youth (featuring i-dle’s YUQI). In Achilles, the vocals make the song smoother. I am particularly drawn to YOON’s line just before the choruses and YEONBIN’s line in the bridge – both parts are what I return to each time I play Achilles. Overall, Achilles is definitely a really nice track that I highly recommend. I am happy that it is my first NOWZ review.
My take on the music video is that NOWZ, with their captivating looks and charisma, is seen as an influence on society, given how they are plastered everywhere in the media (on late-night shows and in commercials) in the video. Some (i.e., parents) don’t approve of NOWZ (based on the way they covered the little girl’s eyes and took her away from the TV screen at the end). But even as a strong influence, the group sings about their weakness – their lover. No matter how confident and charismatic they look on TV, they are only human and can be vulnerable at times. Whilst limited, the video does show the members in very different environments – classy and sophisticated for the perfume advertisement, sexy and modern for the jeans advertisement, and fittingly retro to match up with the song’s primary disco influence.
The performance was definitely nice to watch. I particularly liked the smooth moves during the second chorus. The arm movements and body twists just glided so nicely. I also liked the ending, with the delayed keyboard synth and associated move giving the song and performance just a little extra something to finish it off.
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10
KPOPREVIEWED 