[Review] Dal Shabet - Someone Like U

What is with everyone in Kpop using "U" instead of "you?" It bothers my near-perfect English-typing soul. Anyway, Dal Shabet will kick off 2016's reviews. The group had generally been laddering in the lower tiers, releasing a few decent songs here and there over the years. "Someone Like U" is their fresh start to the year, and a new lineup, as they would lose Kaeun and Jiyul to individual activities.

Subin and Woohee and a beautiful 1-2 visual punch. Like goddamn. I know Ahyoung is the face of the group but I am definitely captivated by Subin and Woohee. Dal Shabet has always had interesting and aesthetically-pleasing music videos. "B.B.B." and "Joker" were definitely in this camp, and "Someone Like U" is no different. Like the song, the colour scheme is lively and vibrant, and the bulk of the video is just eye candy. The girls eventually track down (stalk, perhaps) the male interest together and threaten him with confetti guns. Not the most optimal weapon for the job, if I must say so myself. Plus we already saw this years ago with After School's "Flashback." Like the MV, most of the choreography is visually pleasing, though some of the parts at the end look a little awkward.

As for the song itself, it's a very upbeat pop track, which in terms of their mainstream releases hasn't been seen since "Be Ambitious." The group sounds in sync, and the chorus isn't unbearably repetitive. There's enough variety to keep it from boring you, and the instrumental is a mixed bag of goodies. I do think it's like the one in "Sleepless Night" in that it's too loud at times, making the members more difficult to hear, but whatever. The standout of the song was Serri's rap, which was pleasantly surprising. Seems like she'll be taking over the rapping reigns from Kaeun. Given that we're so early into 2016 I would obviously hesitate to call this a top tier girl group rap, but I gotta respect Serri. She did a damn good job.

While "Joker" was a little unorthodox, "Someone Like U" is a step in the better direction. They simply sound better, overall. The vocals are good, the dancing is good, the music video is good (enough), and the rapping is strong. It's a statement release, having lost members again, and Dal Shabet show much more promise with this track. Perhaps

[ Overall: 82 / 100 ]