As the years have gone on I’ve become a bit disillusioned with the whole Produce 101 format. The show is still an absolute juggernaut, with a far-reaching shadow that touches almost every corner of the K-pop industry. But more often than not, it feels as if the powers-that-be are simply coasting on its popularity to release sub-standard, unimaginative music. Then again, every once and awhile we get an Energetic, so I guess Produce-related songs can’t be discounted automatically.
Truthfully, I never actually made it through the whole Produce 48 season. I watched the fun parts (ie: the initial auditions during the first few episodes), but quickly lost interest after that. So unlike IOI or Wanna One, I really don’t have any personal stake in IZ*ONE. A dynamite debut track might have changed that, but La Vie en Rose (라비앙로즈 ) kind of fizzles every time it seems to be getting started.
The song starts out promisingly, opening with an atmospheric blend of synths and plucked guitar (or harp?). Its verses have a Brave Brothers-esque drive to them, building to a standout pre-chorus that amps up the energy. A series of strong vocal turns seem to point to a dynamic chorus, but instead the instrumental thins out and we get a limp bit of melody that feels more like an afterthought than a hook. This lack of focus ultimately hurts the track, even if its individual parts can be enjoyable. On the plus side, La Vie en Rose is a hundred times more refined than IOI’s debut, and the girls seem to gel well together as a group. Maybe their Energetic (or even Very Very Very) is yet to come.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The opening synth gave me major Produce 101 S2’s Never vibes, but I was let down by that total non-starter of a chorus. That being said, I was expecting an ultra-saccharine debut given the lineup (all the promising girl crush/sexy-type candidates were eliminated, bar Eunbi, Chaeyeon, and maybe Yena), so this was still a pleasant surprise regardless–I like the direction they’re going in, if not necessarily the song. Izone doesn’t really have any rappers though, and that might limit their versatility moving forwards.
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did you see Yena’s rap though? she killed it!
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I did! She performed amiably given how short a time she had to develop her rap skills, but she still feels like a poor man’s Lim Nayoung for me right now.
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Disagree whole heartedly. Best debut of the year to me.
I too was expecting something cloyingly cute, so my expectations were smashed.
I love how the song moves, the instrumentation with that strummed instrument hook is beautiful.
Considering the rest of the song is super melodic I don’t have a problem with the chill-drop chorus, it gives it a sultry vibe that I totally dig. The post chorus at the end is a great touch too and picks up the energy with some extra percussion.
Not every song has to be a banger ( though I know you need a chorus haha)
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When I first heard the teaser (which had just the chorus), I was immediately hooked because the direction was clearly much more unique by being classy rather than being completely cute or completely girl-crush, plus the production seemed refined. That being said, after hearing the whole song, I did feel as if the transition between the powerhouse pre-chorus and the drop in the chorus is a bit disparate and drastic, but that personally did not take away from my experience with the song.
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You ranked Wa Da Da higher than LVER.. So funny considering that LVER is now considered as an iconic debut song and so much better than WDD.
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