[Review] Apink - %%

Apink grace us as the first song review of 2019. While it's only the third review under the new season, expect some increase in these posts now that I gave myself the freedom to write as much or little as I find appropriate. This comeback is important coming off the heels of "I'm So Sick" which was a revolutionary change of pace for the usually bubblegum pop group. Teasers showed that we'd likely return to the mature concept and that got my hopes up. Usually that sets me up for disappointment so we'll see if "%%" can deliver.

For starters let me say this: you can love or hate the song (or anything between) but the best thing about "%%" is that the line distribution and structure is amazing. The traditional Apink setup read like a boring sequence: Naeun starts, Namjoo and Hayoung get the prechorus, Bomi takes first chorus, Eunji repeats said chorus. There have been few deviations from that over the years but this is almost completely new. Hayoung and Chorong leading the song was a pleasant surprise while the early Bomi sighting was equally wonderful. Eunji still shows up in the chorus but is joined by Namjoo this time, whose voice fits wonderfully for this style of music. Her prechorus from "I'm So Sick" went underappreciated but now will have more time in the spotlight with "%%."

As for the song itself, it isn't bad. The super short verses that I wasn't a fan of from "I'm So Sick" are back but is coupled with yet another gorgeous bridge. Like holy cow, Eunji is a fucking superstar. The quick dance breaks from the last release evolved into a full dance break before the closing chorus (which also features Naeun instead of Eunji) which was neat. Don't think we've seen a complete Apink dance break before. Ultimately though, "%%" feels more disjointed than its predecessor and it's not just because of the line changes. The slow verse and fast prechorus sound more jarring here compared to "I'm So Sick" though I wonder how I'd feel if I listened to these two songs in reverse order. But yeah the whole thing has more disjoints and the choreography may be adding to this. I don't think it's bad per se but it seems awkward when I watched the live performances. Perhaps this was intentional?

Naeun reclaims her throne as Apink's top visual this comeback thanks to her stylists, Bomi's bangs, and Hayoung's slight drop. The music video is filled to the brim with pink colors and the girls also engage in some witchcraft or maybe black magic. Don't ask me what is going on in this factory of theirs. It's probably the heart of that pizza dude from Red Velvet's "Bad Boy."

As one of the remaining girl groups from the previous generation, Apink have done well remodeling under the more mature sound. It's much more fitting for the members both visually and vocally. However, "I'm So Sick" set a standard which I find "%%" failed to reach. The audio sounds messy at times and the choreography matches those pretenses - especially during prechorus and post-chorus. While still a solid song, consider Apink's "%%" is to "I'm So Sick" as Girl's Day's "Female President" was to "Expectation." The sequel was decent but simply couldn't match the genius of the release that came before it.