One of the most refreshing things about Golden Child’s emergence as K-pop rookies is their full embrace of upbeat, unashamed pop music. As idol groups continue to push into the West with sounds appealing to current trends, Golden Child has maintained a more classic approach. From Damdadi to It’s U, their brand of hooky, high-energy pop feels utterly charming. And with Let Me, they’ve delivered the rarest of things in this modern age of K-pop — a summer comeback without even a hint of tropical undertones.

Being a Sweetune aficionado, I was disappointed when it was announced that Let Me would be produced by a different team. But by returning to the composers responsible for last year’s Damdadi, the song creates a solid through line that cements the group’s power pop sound. Bounding out of the gate with a catchy burst of boogie guitar, Let Me’s jaunty verse sets a beach-ready tone built upon by a bright melody and extra stomps of percussion. This soon segues into the synth-infused chorus, which takes its cues from 2011-era One Direction for an anthemic, fist-pumping sing-along.

Let Me’s second verse twists things up, delivering a series of disorienting electronics as hip-hop briefly takes the spotlight. This never completely disrupts the flow, but adds just enough variety to keep things interesting. The same could be said about Joochan’s climactic power note, which injects a welcome boost to the final chorus. This isn’t revolutionary stuff, and probably won’t appeal to listeners who like their K-pop a little darker and brooding. But for those of us with a sweet tooth for bubblegum hooks and big, sparkly production, Let Me is the perfect summer tonic.

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