Produce 101 has been such a fun ride and, more importantly, has already provided us with some great music. Both Pick Me and In The Same Place were deserved hits, but now that the final group has been decided, Crush acts as their official (pre)debut.

As such, the song adheres to the EDM concept that the show seems intent on giving the girls. I find this odd, because of the songs Produce 101 has released thus far, one of the lowest performing has been the underrated 24 Hours. I’m not sure this is the exact route the group should be going, but I do appreciate an attempt at high energy pop with an international flair. Crush augments a basic club sound with attitude-filled verses that play to the strengths of certain members over others. Depending on your tolerance for teen girl “oh my gosh” moments, you’ll either love it or hate it. I think I’m somewhere in the middle.

As far as choruses go, Crush‘s is actually weaker than most of the material the show has provided so far. It has a nice build in places, but overall feels too messy and all over the place. Fortunately, some of this chaos straightens out on repeat listens, but I feel like a song of this genre really lives or dies on the strength of its hook. Of course, when you burst out of the gate with a track as addictive as Pick Me, it’s going to be hard to live up to the mark you’ve set for yourself. As a bonus pre-release, Crush is fun (and fine), but I’m counting on their official debut single to be much stronger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6qYxXGH_-U