Review

Song Review: (G)I-DLE – Uh-Oh

(G)I-DLE have quickly jumped to the forefront of this generation’s girl group landscape, but that kind of meteoric rise is not without its growing pains. February’s Senorita wasn’t as universally admired as their 2018 work, raising the stakes for its follow-up. New single Uh-Oh rights the ship to some extent, even if its retro hip-hop vibe is more enjoyable than the actual song.

Like EXID’s Lady, Uh-Oh heads right back to the 90’s. It bumps on an addictive beat filled with turntable scratches, canned strings samples and smartly utilized keys. We even get a funky injection of bass guitar during the second verse, adding to the instrumental’s considerable appeal. A groove like this tends to sit in one place rather than build to any momentous climax, and that’s okay. Uh-Oh doesn’t need a standout endpoint, making its last-minute, halfhearted chant feel kind of extraneous. You come to this kind of track for the beat, and Uh-Oh definitely satisfies in this regard. (G)I-DLE have always delivered their material with undeniable attitude, but now they’ve got the fierce instrumental to match.

Melodically, the track mostly just circles around the same theme. The opening minute grows tiresome quickly, as the pre-chorus essentially repeats the structure of the verses. Luckily, the charismatic chorus changes things up, even if its magnetic performance outweighs the actual hook. The second verse feels more free-form, incorporating rap to create a melodically and rhythmically diverse segment. Added all elements together, Uh-Oh isn’t quite up there with Latata or Hann, but it’s a definite improvement over the underwhelming Senorita.

 Hooks 7
 Production 9
 Longevity 8
 Bias 8
 RATING 8

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9 thoughts on “Song Review: (G)I-DLE – Uh-Oh

  1. Right out of the gate, I can just hear the angry key clicks of Netz trolls and CLC stans decrying “OMG.. ..Soyeon is totally trying to steal Yeeun’s mojo with dat cheap ass short blonde ho wiiiiig!”

    Back on Earth… This wasn’t that bad. There’s a fun vibe there. It won’t be the song I remember them by, but it isn’t completely forgettable. I disagree that it was okay that the song “didn’t” build momentum, because not shifting gears made the song seem a minute longer than I wanted it to be. Maybe adding something. Rock guitar? Replace the synth strings with lazy brass? Nothing overwhelming.. ..just a change of pace.

    Either way.. ..it’s a good song.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. It doesn’t knock it out of the park, but is a solid double. It gets to base, no one had an error, no one advanced, so everyone turns head to see who is up next in the batting order. I don’t think they will gain or lose fans with this.

    mho Soyeon is a good beginning songwriter, remarkable for being able to carry two groups discography on her back. However, she needs to start listening to more music outside of kpop, because she is hewing close to the same grooves. Where there are interesting quirks in the songs, it may be because she doesn’t know music theory well enough yet so does whatever she wants which lends a novel quality but frustrates in some instances (eg all the comments about how Hann phrases don’t resolve).

    I avoid every “article” that includes the word “Netizens” in the title. I have taken “Netizens” to mean high schoolers and basement dwelling keyboard jockeys with too much time on their hands.

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  3. It’s a good song. As you said, not their best, but nevertheless a good song. I just wished it was more dynamic, I think Soyeon could’ve had more fun with this track.
    Maybe giving it more listens would make the song more endearing to me…
    As always, Soyeon’s rap is easily the highlight of the song as well as its last 30 seconds.

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  4. I have listened to the song like 8 times and I just can’t remember the melody…
    While listening: I like it!
    After listening: I can’t remember it?

    I prefer it over Senorita, but was hoping for more

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    • Same here. I prefer Senorita too ! Uh Oh seems to lack of something. The beats are abit too slow for a funky song somehow. Lol. I like Soyeon, and I do think that she is one of the most talented girls out there but I do wish some of her lines are given to Miyeon or Yuqi…

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  5. Pingback: (G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들)– Uh-Oh: MV Review – TweetNewscaster

  6. Pingback: Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2019 | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion

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