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: 2012

For longtime fans of Nu’est, it would be fair to say that the group’s discography has been somewhat fragmented. Their current sound is miles away from what it was when they debuted in 2012, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Times and trends change, after all. But whichever style you prefer, it’s hard to argue with the group’s debut year. Their 2012 was filled with fantastic pop music, including non-title track follow-ups like Not Over You.

Not Over You is Nu’est at their most pop-informed, offering a carefree blast of surging melody and light, sugary production. Too often nowadays, it feels like the importance of dynamic verses has been forgotten. They don’t simply exist to fill time between choruses, and Not Over You understands this. Right from the start, the song presents a catchy melody that snowballs as the track gathers steam. The vocals are as wispy and ephemeral as possible, lacking impact but blending perfectly with the song’s fluffy aesthetic. When JR’s rap-focused pre-chorus comes in, there’s no needless swag or posturing — just a simple shot of rhythm to keep the momentum going. The chorus is low on ambition, but high on smooth, sing-along enjoyment. And that pretty much sums up Not Over You as a whole. It was probably too unassuming to work as a lead title track, but it’s the kind of song that feels comfortable and welcome no matter what year you first hear it. I wonder if they’ll ever return to this kind of thing?

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