Song Review: J-Hope – Chicken Noodle Soup (ft. Becky G) | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion

It’s only been a short while since BTS emerged from their late-summer break, but J-Hope is already gracing fans with a surprise single — the trilingual Becky G collaboration Chicken Noodle Soup. The song is a cover of the insipid, siren-filled original from Webstar and Young B. At the very least, J-Hope and Becky G’s version makes marked improvements. That’s a low bar to cross, but it’s still worth noting.

I’m not usually a fan of these Korean/American collaborations. Few have felt like anything but quick cash-ins eager to capitalize on K-pop’s growing presence in the States. However, BTS made it work with Halsey for April’s Boy With Luv, and Becky G makes a similarly compatible match. Much of this success rides on the strength of Chicken Noodle Soup’s production. In our current pop climate, it’s rare to hear this kind of upbeat hip-hop. Nary a trap beat is found, replaced with a funky, bass-heavy groove that feels reminiscent of an old Missy Elliott track. There’s more than a little bit of Work It here — and Soup is all the better for it. I only wish the tempo didn’t stagnate during Becky G’s melodic moments.

Unfortunately, this version of Chicken Noodle Soup is still beholden to the obnoxious hooks that drove the 2006 original. It’s built around a pair of irritating English-language catchphrases, aiming for “cute” and “clever” but landing closer to “cloying.” This is why I rarely listen to English-language pop music anymore. The meme-ification of lyrics just doesn’t sit well with me. J-Hope and Becky G do what they can with the material, adding Korean and Spanish verses as well as some extra melody. It’s not enough to make this version of Soup feel vital, but the instrumental’s addictive bounce might at least have me coming back for seconds.

Hooks	7
Production	9
Longevity	7
Bias	8
RATING	7.75

5 thoughts on “Song Review: J-Hope – Chicken Noodle Soup (ft. Becky G)”

the mv and choreo did it for me (except for that poor choice of hair)

the catchphrase is too addicting lol; I just discovered the og song when they released an article crediting it

I didn’t think u would review this song! Thought it might be too american pop (?) for you

LikeLike

the mv and choreo did it for me (except for that poor choice of hair)

the catchphrase is too addicting lol; I just discovered the og song when they released an article crediting it

I didn’t think u would review this song! Thought it might be too american pop (?) for you

LikeLiked by 1 person

Well, OK, this song is a heck of a lot of fun. I really appreciate it when pop music doesn’t take itself so seriously and doesn’t overthink it all and just makes fun music.

In theory I should love it not merely like it very much, after all I am the one who routinely cites “Rock Me Amadeus” as high quality pop. But there isn’t enough melodic meat on it for me besides the oft-repeated refrain. And yes, “Amadeus” is repeated some 20 times in that chorus too, but it had full marks for novelty, and timeliness with the movie of the same name.

But really, I wish this song were shorter by about a minute. Shorter and sweeter and to the point.

The video and choreo are great.

(OT: for the trivia people, “Rock me Amadeus” is one of only seven songs sung in a foreign language to top the Billboard Top 100 chart in the US since 1958.)

LikeLike