Please bear with me as I catch up on some of the more recent KPOP releases from the last couple of weeks. First up is i-dle, who made their comeback last week with the single Mono, featuring British rapper skaiwater. It is their first release since Good Thing and the solo comebacks from YUQI (with M.O) and MIYEON (with Say My Name).
Musically, Mono is a pleasant number, and I quite enjoyed it. However, this wasn’t my first impression of the mostly English song (there was one line sung by SOYEON in Korean, which I think was intentional, to retain the true meaning of the Korean phrase). At first, I thought Mono‘s monotonous approach would be far too dull for my taste. Even after the first listen, I wasn’t sure about the subtlety of their delivery and the minimal melodies. But after a couple of repeats, I can say I find the melodies, hooks, and that subtle nature of their vocals quite appealing. The minimalist yet trendy instrumentation also spoke volumes, rounding out Mono nicely. skaiwater’s featuring was interesting. Whilst the rest of Mono was quite sterile, their slurred lines add a bit of texture and murkiness to the song. It stands out and gives Mono a little reprieve from the monotone direction it adopted. But the part was so brief, I didn’t think it was necessary. But that was only a minor detail. The other big part of Mono is its lyrics, which promote inclusivity and self-expression, regardless of your demographic.
There were some creative choices in the music video that didn’t make much sense to me at first, but they clicked into place by the end. For example, the prominent focus on rotations and circles, the large cone that is constantly drilling and whirling throughout the video. Turns out, these elements form circular patterns (i.e., patterns within a circle that is arranged around a central point). The monochrome aesthetic predominates for most of the video, showing that everything (and everyone) is the same regardless of our differences.
The stylists for this era of i-dle’s career have done an amazing job. All their looks over the past week on the music shows have been stunning, and they form a memorable part of their comeback for me. As for the choreography, I enjoyed how well the routine complements the music. It was so soft, yet had a subtle impact. I also like how skaiwater’s part was retained for the performance, giving the opportunity for all of the members to participate in a dance break.
Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10
KPOPREVIEWED 