I've been looking forward to this. With a title like "Hobgoblin," CLC were sure to catch attention no matter what the song sounded like. CLC had been attempting to carve out a niche for themselves with previous tracks like "No Oh Oh." But then you had the teaser, which clearly showed a departure from the classic CLC sound. Out go the traditional dance pop theme, in comes something more serious, potentially more badass. Lord knows we need more of these types of concepts for girl groups nowadays, so I was likely to welcome this change with open arms regardless of quality of song.
Granted, a darker mature theme only reminds me (and all of us) of 4minute, and that's exactly what "Hobgoblin" is. From the heavy usage of rap in the verses, melodic prechorus, and repetitive hook / chorus, everything is 4minute reincarnate. Before continuing on, I'd like to express my thoughts behind the "4minute cloning" matters. There could be different reasons why Cube pursued this path. Maybe previous songs weren't doing as well as they'd like. Maybe they're desperate to pick up where 4minute left off. Regardless, I for one enjoy this because it's a more niche market. Outside of Black Pink, who is ready going with the girl group power motif? 2NE1 and 4minute were the leading players in that field and both are gone. It's only natural for their successor groups to follow in their footsteps. Besides, there will be accusations of being copycats from all angles for all groups. It's simply water under the bridge.
Alright enough of that - onto higher thoughts. This 4minute reincarnation is further illustrated when you look at Yeeun and her presence as Hyuna Jr. From the way she raps (which was already nasally to begin with) to her mannerisms and even her looks (to an extent), she is channeling her inner Hyuna and doing a damn good job of it. While her performance was great, I was surprised that Eunbin and Seungyeon (I think?) shared some of the rapping moments. Though in hindsight, it makes sense since Eunbin needs lines somehow. Even though the song is high-energy, I dig the slower prechorus where Seunghee and Sorn help build momentum into the wacky chorus. Seunghee sounds in her element and way more comfortable compared to "No Oh Oh." My main complaints of this song fall on the chorus. The first is that since the chorus is one of those chant-filled repetitions, there's no opportunity for the CLC vocalists to show off. The second is that the ending of the song seemed rushed. Both of these also affected 4minute's songs, so it's not that big a knock on CLC.
CLC have always had active choreographies. From their debut in "Pepe" to the recent "No Oh Oh," they've flaunted extremely energetic dances. "Hobgoblin" would be no exception. Especially since they're following the 4minute motif, the chorus has plenty of action and diversity. There's a flurry of moves but I imagine that those quick punches are the distinct moment of the chorus. Hell, I'm even seeing some similarities between this choreography and that of "Hate" and "Crazy," but maybe that's merely my eyes playing tricks on me. An underappreciated aspect of CLC as far as dancing is that they have many options at center. Seungyeon, Yeeun, and Eunbin are all capable dancers that command attention when they're in the front. Seungyeon is the best, but it's important to share the wealth which is what CLC does. You could even make the argument that Elkie could be a viable center too, not to mention that Yujin had moments at center during the more cutesy pop songs. Every member looks good in the choreogroaphy
With a change in concept comes a change in appearance. Where there once was cuteness, there should now be badassery. Or something like that. Given this pivot, you can't expect the entire group to transition seamlessly, but let's look at who's doing well (and who isn't). Ironically, the maknae Eunbin is one of the best. Sure, she still looks innocent but her expressions are pretty good and she appears comfortable. Seungyeon and Yeeun look right at home, and their charisma shows potential. Yeeun in particular really took the "Hyuna Jr." idea to heart. Sorn is kinda in limbo, as she doesn't not fit in, but also didn't really get enough opportunities compared to the other members (justice for Sorn needed). Yujin and Seunghee look the least comfortable, and understandably so. Yujin is super cute and Seunghee was a bit awkward to begin with (I still love her). Elkie isn't awkward in her mannerisms but her lipsyncing was really off to me. The MV is the stereotypical box set MV, which is why I'm trying to ignore as much of it as possible. Outside of some bizarre color / filter choices and the group's foray into the tough girl concept, there isn't much else that's noteworthy. Oh and I'm dead after Elkie at 3:07.
"Hobgoblin" is a solid first step into new waters for CLC. Is it their best song in their repertoire? No, but it's an admirable effort nonetheless. Besides getting some members comfortable in this style of music, the most important thing for them is actually being consistent in this new style. This song is quietly addicting, has a badass instrumental, and all the right elements of a tough girl power song. Yeeun continues to make a name for herself, while Seungyeon and Elkie also dominate in their roles. Despite not being the type of song for it, Seunghee and Sorn got crucial roles in the prechorus and it utilized their voices well. It's a very complete comeback and I'm really hoping they can help replenish the void that 4minute and 2NE1 left behind moving forward.
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