Those of you that have been following this site for the better part of the year will probably be able to accurately predict my thoughts on IMFACT’s Feel So Good. But before I go on to confirm those predictions, it’s worth noting how incredibly different the group’s February debut was in both sound and image. Looking back, I was probably a bit hard on Lollipop. Yeah, it was overly silly, but at least it had a sense of fun. Despite its title, Feel So Good seems to be lacking actual joy.

I don’t know what Star Empire is doing with these guys. IMFACT are total rookies, and should have had their first comeback much sooner than November. But beyond that, they need some musical consistency. Feel So Good is a complete 180 for them, and not in the good way. Like so many others, the song positions them as hip-hop heavy bad boys, throwing out melody for silly posturing and an utterly unappealing beat. Obnoxious synths overtake the verses, leading into a pre-chorus that builds some good will before collapsing into a breakdown that feels surprisingly sluggish. The drawn out “feel so goooooood” refrain certainly doesn’t help on this front. Instead, it slows the momentum to a snail’s crawl.

Feel So Good is just another example (in a long line of them) of what happens when a chorus is removed in favor of a catchphrase. Despite this unfortunate musical choice, there are glimmers of hope to be found throughout the track. The vocal ad-lib during the central hook is very Seventeen, delivered in a tight, layered burst. I also like how the production continues to intensify with each passing breakdown. As more elements enter the fray, the song grows better and more interesting. But even these bright spots can’t totally compensate for the lack of substance at Feel So Good‘s core.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOXVTjlF2pk