Review

Song Review: Crush – woo ah

Crush - woo ahCrush is one of those artists that I desperately want to adore. He seems like such a pleasant person, and even though it’s not my preferred genre, I can appreciate the vibey, slow-jam r&b he produces. But with almost every song he’s released, I end up having the same response, which basically amounts to: “that was kind of cool, but it never really went anywhere.”

Because of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that Crush’s music is more about creating a specific atmosphere than taking us on a full musical journey. This is totally fine. In fact, I’d argue that it’s a hallmark of the r&b genre as a whole, and a very different approach to songwriting than most commercial kpop. Woo ah is yet another step in this direction. The song feels like a hot, hazy afternoon, unconcerned with moving too much in any direction when it can recline and simply bathe in its own, impossibly cool aura.

It’s a more psychadelic sound than Crush has tackled in the past, laying his vocals over a bed of experimental synths and a simple shuffle of a beat. There are portions where the melody gives way to something closer to hip hop, but in general, the vocals sound very laidback and conversational. The hook is little more than a repetition of the titular ad-lib, which initially feels underwhelming but works with the song’s sensual, drowsy vibe. While I’d love to see Crush tackle something more uptempo again, like the underrated Hey Baby from his debut album, it’s hard not to at least appreciate woo ah for what it is, even if it’s not a song that’s directly in my wheelhouse.

 Hooks  7
 Production  7
 Longevity 7
 Bias  7
 RATING  7

6 thoughts on “Song Review: Crush – woo ah

  1. I can´t get into this type of music, I´ve tried,but it is so boring. Korea just loves it , but there is nothing that calls my attention in R&B , not even in the bad way. When I hear a song like this and the music is over I can´t remember what I just listened ,that´s how unmemorable the genre is for me.

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    • The frustrating thing for me is that I think Crush is much better than his songs. But I also realize that this comes from a personal preference more than an objective criticism. I like his general sound, but I wish that his material had a tighter structure.

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  2. Yeah, I can neither be objective because this type of sound just makes me feel nothing , nada!! At least I new that I hated Bang Bang Bang when it came out , but this, I can´t even say that I dislike it, I just fell asleep before the song was over.

    The grudge that I hold against this particular style is not with the genre itself but more with the people who like it and tend to diminish idol pop for being too uninspired and kind of the same and I am like what….?? Are we hearing the same thing…?

    It happens the same for me with korean ballads. I literally don´t understand the hype, even if the person has a really good voice ( I´m looking at you Woohyun)

    Well, there is no doubt that everyone hears the music in a different way.

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