As packed as October’s release slate has been, it’s been surprisingly short on girl group comebacks. Apart from Ladies’ Code and Limesoda, new group ARIAZ practically have the month to themselves. That’s a boon for their debut, as it helps them stand out in a busy market. And let’s be honest, any new act from the not-so-fabulous Star Empire Entertainment needs every leg up that they can get.
Debut single Moonlight Aria (까만 밤의 아리아) doesn’t knock me out, but it offers glimpses of potential that make me want to hear more. ARIAZ’s sound comes across as LOONA by way of Cosmic Girls, which is a pretty smart combination. Aria borrows the trendy synths from the former and the mystical aesthetic from the latter. Its at its best when it leans into its more dynamic elements, like that sledgehammer, chip tunes synth that opens the track. I’m less enthused by the swerving, off-balance electronics that underline the verses. But, this is no surprise. The song’s official description calls these moments “glitch hop.” They sound more like future bass to me, and you all know how I feel about that particular sub-genre.
Luckily, Moonlight Aria is anchored by the same bombastic synth of its introduction, upping the drama directly after the catchy, titular hook softens things up. This production flourish is about as in-your-face as the track gets. Its melodies are oddly subdued, without one single refrain really taking precedence. In this way, the song feels like a straight line, lacking peaks or valleys. This structure results in a muddled first listen, but improves as you become more familiar with Aria’s quirks. ARIAZ will no doubt release superior material in the future, but this is another promising debut in a year packed with them.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Be sure to add your own rating by participating in the poll below!
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I thought this sounded like a noisy version of every recent girl song ever.
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The intro hints of IZ*ONE, the music in the actual song has tinges of GWSN, the voices somewhat remind me of Cherry Bullet, and there are other familiar elements laced throughout the piece so I get the sentiment behind MYMAGOOGLE’s post.
Still, me likey. Let’s see where this group takes us, shall we?
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To each his/her own
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?
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It’s an old expression, meaning everyone likes what they like and that is ok.
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I understood the expression. I didn’t understand the context.
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you likey. me okey.
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i think the rest of their album is better, especially ouch has me replaying it lots. they’re definitely one of the most vocally strong girl groups that came out this year and that makes it so much more fun to listen to their songs!
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My post (below) was suppose to be a reply to you, but ended up a separate post. This is the second time this happened to me recently; not sure why. Maybe because I included a link? Either way, thanks again for the heads up on the mini-album.
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Your comment compelled me to track down the other songs from this release, so thank you. 🙂
My take on ARIAZ “GRAND OPERA”:
1. Assemble #1: Intro fusing elements from the titular track
2. Ouch!: Cute song with a nice pre-chorus/chorus.
3. Moonlight Aria: Title song.
4. Drama: Meh.
5. Where U R: Incredible chorus. I ended up buying the whole mini-album because of this song. If not for this track, I would’ve just purchased the title song as a single.
Reference (WUR): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOPM30ERRE
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This was suppose to be a reply to XX; oof doof.
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well this group ended up dipping, sad 😔
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