Vocals: 7 / 10
Let me start by talking about the vocal ranges of the two. Jr., the rapper has a higher voice than JB, and while JB does do 90% of the singing, Jr. also adds some voice of his own in the chorus and bridge. High voiced rappers are a little mediocre but we’ll reference at a later and more appropriate time. JB’s voice is good. Not spectacular, but still good. All of his lines were comfortably within his range, and while there was some utility shown in the rock and roll themed bridge, there were no real opportunities to show off, so we don’t really know what he’s truly capable of. Hopefully future releases will be able to compliment JB’s voice the same amount as this song did to Jr.’s rap in this song.
Appearance: 8 / 10
Honestly there is not much to say regarding looks of these two, following JYP’s (read: KPop’s) standards of attractive people in the entertainment industry. The hairstyles are not extreme (although you could expect so from a school setting) so the two blend into the crowd. JB’s pink mix with blonde is interesting, definitely not something I see other singers pulling off so props to him. Also something to note: there were no hairstyle changes throughout the music video, only costume switches. Speaking of which, their outfits are also not anything amazing, which matches their schoolboy appearance and subsequently the MV set location.
Dance: 9 / 10
I love this choreography, partially because it is reminiscent of 2PM’s early stuff and I miss seeing variety. Also, this dance absolutely destroys anything 2TVXQ had (at least for now, S.M. may surprise me). Rather than having two people dance awkwardly next to each other, Jr. and JB do interact with some of the choreography (moreso towards the end but something is better than nothing) and the backup dancers also do a nice job. The dance strongly compliments the frantic upbeat mood of the song and is just straightforward and catchy. I found Jr. a little awkward during the bridge since JB was the only one singing, so maybe something should’ve been worked out there, but nonetheless excellent presentation and strong choice.
Rap: 10 / 10
Although this rap is definitely not something amazing and not something terrible, Jr. shows everyone that he is certainly capable. Ignoring the voice range I mentioned earlier, Jr. keeps a fast pace throughout the entire song. Keep in mind that the entirety of both verses are rap, and not a single line feels out of place. JB also chimes in every so often to throw the classic “repeat after me” bit to Jr.’s game. While very simple, it’s a rap scheme / style I’ve rarely seen in other duos (TVXQ) and is a welcome twist from JJ Project. Add some extra English words here and there and you have a traditional JYP rap. Along with B.A.P.’s Bang Yong Guk and EXO-K’s Chanyeol, I believe Jr. is a new rookie has earned a respectable slot of rappers I genuinely like and I am excited to see more of Jr. in the future.
Music Video: 9 / 10
Another lovely music video from JYP, who would have thought? Starts with the “JYP whisper, and then proceeds to the classroom / school setting that I’ve mentioned. JB and Jr. rally up everyone else to go crazy and just bounce. While there are shots and pieces of them dancing in a room, it’s a basketball court / gymnasium which happens to be something at a school. The duo are also seen trekking through the hallways and eventually make their way outside to go crazy some more with everyone joining in on the fun. Furthermore the rock and roll scene also has guitarists and drummers in the background, which actually match the theme (I’m looking at you, “Twinkle”). Similar to “Like This”, this music video encourages the audience to participate with the performers rather than merely aside them. Extra shots of people breakdancing and even some parkour are also thrown in which is a smooth touch.
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Overall: 86 / 100
The new group on the block showed up in full force. Catchy song, good rapping, matching dance and music video. I want to note that this song really doesn’t feel like a JYP production (LOL), if not for the signature whisper at the beginning of the song I’d have never guessed the two were under JYP. The song mixes multiple genres together – rap, electronic, R&B, rock & roll – in fact it almost seems hashed together / cluttered but the transitions are actually really solid and is very new and experimental, which really isn’t JYP’s style. All in all this song impressed me and hopefully you felt the same.
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