Over the course of Nine Muses’ convoluted history, the group has been home to fourteen different members. Not all have promoted at the same time, with girls leaving and joining on a pretty regular basis. This constant churn has made unit cohesion a difficult concept, and also affects the members’ ability to successfully go solo. Lead vocal Kyungri has a leg up in this regard, having been with the group since 2012. Six years is more than enough time to establish a fan base, and the sexy Blue Moon (어젯밤) should help cement it.

I love that 2018 has given us a more diverse music palette when it comes to girl groups and female soloists. Blue Moon doesn’t go cutesy or tropical, and in this way feels more authentic to Kyungri’s personal style. Framed by an icy electro beat, the track pulses at a sultry pace that’s perched halfway between dance and mid-tempo. This is a good fit for Kyungri’s airy vocals, which glide effortlessly over the instrumental. This ease of performance is one of Blue Moon’s strengths, but is sabotaged by the poor use of autotune that crops up every once and awhile. It’s completely unneeded, and undercuts the song’s atmospheric vibe.

Blue Moon follows Nu’est W’s recent Dejavu by using a structure that pulls back during its chorus. The instrumental narrows its focus to a sinuous bassline, providing Moon’s catchiest moment. This segment feels very much like a modern Nine Muses single, and is all the better for it. I just wish the verses were nearly as tight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDszSrddGBc

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