Voting controversies or not, the Produce 101 juggernaut rolls on with the debut of yet another special rookie unit. BDC hail from Brand New Music, putting them in a bit of a predicament. The agency just debuted boy group AB6IX this year to great success. History dictates that it’ll be awhile before they’re ready to unveil another new group. Of course, history can be misleading, and the fact that Remember Me (기억되고 싶어) arrives only a few weeks after AB6IX’s first comeback makes you wonder what Brand New Music’s plans are.

Here’s one bit of advice I would give the agency’s ‘powers that be’: when BDC do secure their big debut, make sure their music is uniquely theirs. I say this because Remember Me comes off like a reheated AB6IX b-side. It would sit comfortably beside album tracks like Shining Stars and Dandelion, which makes it feel unnecessary. As a way to keep this young trio of Kim Si Hoon, Yoon Jung Hwan and Hong Sung Joon in the news, I suppose the song acquits itself well. But, it’s hardly galvanizing.

Remember Me presents a now-familiar blend of moody boy band balladry and light, radio-ready EDM. We’ve heard this sound countless times since Seventeen brought it into the K-pop mainstream with 2017’s still-excellent Don’t Wanna Cry, but few groups have been able to give it the same oomph. Remember Me spends too much time noodling around, presenting emotive verses that go nowhere. The song’s build shows promise, but collapses in an overly-repetitive EDM drop. There’s not an ounce of imagination to be found, which is a shame because the boys have nice voices and enough presence to pull off a track of this nature. They elicit a few sparks during Remember Me’s finale, as strings come in to offer cinematic support. But ultimately, this unit project ends as most have — halfhearted and largely forgettable.

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