What does a rock song composed and produced by Sweetune sound like? Well, if IZ’s May release Eden was any indication, it doesn’t sound like Sweetune at all. Their partnership with IZ has been one of the year’s biggest surprises. I’m not unhappy about it (unless it’s preventing more classic Sweetune music from being released…), but it certainly results in an expansion of their signature production style.
IZ’s reinvention has also been interesting to watch. Their new sound draws from elements of hair metal and glam, while retaining an indie edge. Eden laid out these intentions in dramatic fashion, but I wasn’t quite sold. New single Final Kiss (너와의 추억은 항상 여름같아) offers a more compelling distillation of the IZ 2.0 style, leaning into their bombastic tendencies. The guitar is over-the-top, punctuating the track’s bridge with an extended solo. The drums are turned up to eleven and, yes, there’s even some of that trademark Sweetune vocal layering (though not nearly enough for me).
Opening with a hazy wash of vocals, Final Kiss initially feels like it’s going to be a subdued, late-summer rock track. This changes with the influx of electric guitar, leading into a snowballing call-and-response verse with some ridiculous ad-libs buried deep within the mix. The chorus is stadium-ready, moving from punchy intro to soaring refrain without missing a beat. I could see this feeling absolutely immense in a live setting. It’s like a long-lost rocker from the late 80’s, and that’s a pretty solid niche for IZ to be operating within. Next, they need to move beyond simple pastiche and bring something uniquely them to the table. With Final Kiss, they’re on the right the track.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Guitar solo, wha … ? What’s next in kpop, sax solos too?
The vocal sounds like Day6, which isn’t entirely a bad thing. But then it is paired an 80’s guitar, said guitar is something between Eddie Van Halen and Matthias Jabs (Scorpions) with a hefty dose of Yngwie Malmsteen. The drums build and build and then whimper away to little snare and hi hat beats. Then there are quiet parts in the 2nd half of each of the verses which go nowhere – neither a respite relief nor atmospheric interlude.
Its OK, perhaps accomplished. But having lived through that time, or more properly having heard a guitar and drums like that in my sister’s record collection resonating through the walls, I just can’t reconcile the pieces. It isn’t ballsy enough. Back then, the band went all out, the lead vocalists had a shedful of charisma, the drummers were full Animal only stopping to sweat, the bass guitarists never showed his eyes below the mullet fringe, and the lead guitarists wore the tightest pleather you could imagine, and you always though one of them would die of something any day now.
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I absolutely wouldn’t have pegged this for Sweetune, but it’s actually a really well-written rock song – so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised? It’s true that any rock band, (or idol dance group for that matter) could have recorded “Final Kiss,” but I’ve never been particularly picky about the sort of musical anonymity that pervades most nugu groups. That said, I’m still yearning for the return of MetalTune, and I guess something like this will have to suffice in the meantime!
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