[Review] Lovelyz - Ah-Choo

Woollim debuted Lovelyz towards the end of last year. Lovelyz was the epitome of bubblegum pop, and "Candy Jelly Love" made that obvious. Everything from the vocals, the video, and even the title itself screamed pop. As you've heard me before, extreme pop isn't my cup of tea, and they certainly kept up the heavy pop-infused songs like "Hi~." However, Lovelyz also released "Goodnight Like Yesterday," which was a beautiful ballad that flew under the radar for me, as I only discovered the song a few months back. Now with all their members available (something about Jisoo, bullying controversies, and recovery), the group returns with "Ah-Choo."

"Ah-Choo" follows right after "Candy Jelly Love." This song is as standard as you can get for bubblegum pop, with the bright instrumental and equally as lively vocals from the group. Similarities to A-Pink must be brought up here. Not only are both groups in control of the innocent pop theme, they both have a very consistent and capable vocal lineup. Sure, Lovelyz lack an Eunji equivalent, and you could make the argument that they possibly lack even a Bomi equivalent, but everyone from Baby Soul to Yein have very sweet (if frail) voices. Nobody's voice in particular is standout, but I've found myself liking Kei and Yein the most. I definitely enjoy "Ah-Choo" more than "Candy Jelly Love" though, if only because the former is much less awkward to say. "Candy jelly love" just sounds weird no matter what haha. My most major complaint with the song is that it just ends. After the final chorus the song comes to a sudden stop. Though the instrumentals lingers a bit (for the final formation) it's just a weird listen.

Speaking of, the girls deserve praise for the choreography, as the dancing is commendable, It's not to the level of say, GFriend (at this point what rookie group is?), but it's certainly a refreshing routine that doesn't seem to infract their live performances in terms of vocals. God bless them for covering their "sneezes" at the beginning of the chorus. Crafting positions for a group with an even number of members is always a bit tough but they can always model after SNSD. It's a cute lively dance, just like the song. The MV for "Ah-Choo" continues where "Candy Jelly Love" left off, All visuals are youthful and innocent, there's a guest cameo from labelmate Hoya, and the hide-and-seek motif is creatively and brilliantly executed. Outfits are the classic girl-next-door / schoolgirl ones, though there's also the interesting skirt-overall hybrids seen at 0:37. Considering that these girls are so young, with the average being of the '95 line, they're the epitome of youth and innocence.

While I personally would love to see more of the "Goodnight Like Yesterday" Lovelyz, the "Ah-Choo" Lovelyz puts out a respectable effort. They may not have grown since the days of "Candy Jelly Love," "Ah-Choo" is just as good if not better with the less awkward catchphrase, albeit at the cost of an abrupt ending. Lovelyz show again that they are likely the next generation version of A-Pink, with the cute innocence they have along with crystal clear voices.

[ Overall: 84 / 100 ]