I just love it when this happens. INX are a newly-debuted 5-member boy group from an agency that I’ve never heard of, and although they’re clearly working within a budget, they’ve burst onto the scene with an incredible debut song. It’s rare to find a debut group who aren’t simply a carbon copy of several other groups, but I have high hopes for INX.

Alright (오나) positions the boys well, with a sound that deftly marries a surging electro-dance instrumental with the spirit of soaring balladry. The song starts out as such, fading in with a mysterious synth atmospheric. For the next minute, the track is in constant build, culminating when the beat drops and the chorus hits. The vocals here are gorgeous, giving Alright a stately, classic feel, similar in some ways to NCT U’s excellent Without You from earlier in the year. I could do without the gravelly, hip-hopish “오나” refrain that follows directly after, but I understand that its inclusion ticks a necessary box that grounds the song before it threatens to veer towards the adult-contemporary.

Still, I can’t say enough about how impressive a song like this is for the debut of such an unknown group. It shows a real confidence in the guys’ talent that they were given something so melodically driven, that doesn’t pander to current trends or feel like a song we’ve heard a million times before. Because of this, Alright is unlikely to draw much attention to itself, but I feel like those who actually hear it will become interested in INX. It’s substance over style, though the sweeping production certainly doesn’t lack its own charm or panache.