With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature.
The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets the full Bias List treatment!
Year Released: 2015
I’m sure GOT7 fans are (understandably) unhappy with me. I’ve been pretty harsh on the group’s post-2016 music, and I fully admit that. Taste is taste, and their musical evolution just hasn’t been to my liking. But, I often write about how much I enjoyed GOT7’s first two years after debut. Their discography felt varied, but was always driven by smart pop hooks and classic production touches. For many, 2015’s If You Do (니가 하면) represents the group’s peak. It’s not quite my favorite GOT7 track, but it’s definitely up there.
Released a month before JYP Entertainment debuted Twice, If You Do was composed by the now-familiar Black Eyed Pilseung duo. Their work wasn’t as omnipresent back then, but they’d just come off of an excellent summer single (Teen Top’s ah-ah) and a career-revitalizing hit (miss A’s Only You). If You Do borrows elements from both songs, offering an effortlessly smooth piece of r&b-flavored dance pop. The synthwave riff that opens the track sets the mood immediately, quickly segueing into a percussive verse that blends the melodic and hip-hop sides of GOT7’s sound perfectly. Free from the unnecessary vocal effects and moody posturing of their recent work, the guys deliver a straightforward performance that feels polished without sacrificing emotion. Much of that is thanks to the track’s gorgeous chorus, which pulses with pathos while coasting on the kind of insistent groove that characterized GOT7’s early work. They haven’t found a hook this strong since, and that’s a shame.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The song as a whole really is great, but no element of any song makes me smile as consistently as that terrible spoken-word intro. Say what you will. It just makes me giggle.
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That part was always jarring to me because I watched season four of K-pop Star where Lily (the girl who recorded the narration) competed. She was like 13 years old at the time of recording this, and I always found it unsettling that the line basically implied she was in a relationship with the protagonists of the song.
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And now she is an idol. Funny how things change, huh? Lol
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Their best song in my opinion, but also their last good one. They used to be one of my favorite groups, but I got off the hype train fast after they released Hard Carry and Never Ever (especially Never Ever, don’t even get me started). They’ve released some okay songs since then, some were even pretty good, but their music quality has gone downhill a lot.
That doesn’t change the fact that If You Do will forever be one of my favorites and that I will always be listening to their older material. Pre-2016 GOT7 was mad good.
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In 2015, I didn’t know or care much about Got7. This instantly changed when “If You Do” came out, because this song is fantastic. Putting on the depressed bad boy outfit worked so well for them that one time, that it’s disappointing they were never able to recreate the magic again. “If You Do” is like the “Run” of Got7’s discography: so much spray paint! destruction! melodic chorus! rap-heavy verses with a 0% trap breakdown saturation! Granted I cry at “Run” and not at “If You Do” but the point still stands. I miss this endangered species of Got7 with good songs and non-jarring verse arrangements
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Despite numerous attempts to “get hooked” on GOT7, I’ve never been able to get on board. If I had been following them from the start (when they were releasing material such as “If You Do”), then maybe some “established stan” momentum would’ve made a difference, but that’s not the case.
However, I’ll always be a Jackson Wang stan. Not for his solo work, which has never seemed to tap into his true star power, but for his seemingly innate ability to light up any TV appearance he graces with his presence. He always comes across as genuine and endearing. Just the right ratio of wit and charm. Not too cool / not too foppish. While I am unable to fully accept him for his musical efforts, he encapsulates the meaning of the word, “Entertainer”. I see a long career ahead of him in various areas of the entertainment industry.
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Its a solid pop song, uncomplicated.
For you its a 9, for me it would be somewhere in the high 8’s.
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Haha yes we definitely have different tastes when it comes to GOT7… There is very little music of there’s that I like before late 2017 and even less before 2016 (in fact, only 2 songs from their first two years are downloaded onto my phone), but I do agree that this is one of their best songs.
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Years ago, I think a youtuber released a mashup that mashed up If You Do and TT. That’s how I got to know the song. I did love some songs like A and Just Right, but I never heard this song as a whole. It’s definitely a great song!
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