A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
Brave Girls’ new mini album is a non-stop disco party. And while it never reaches the heights of last year’s momentous comebacks, I love its consistent groove and melodic approach. This isn’t surprising given Brave Brothers’ involvement in every song. There’s something to be said about the “old guard” of K-pop producers. It’s always great to hear new voices, but I appreciate the classics also getting their due. I really could have featured any of the album’s tracks as a buried treasure, but the propulsive Can I Love You has hit me the hardest. Brave Girls, if you’re going to keep releasing quality music like this, you can love me any time!
Can I Love You knows exactly what it wants to do, immediately unveiling its catchy synth riff and unyielding club beat. The verse offers a series of ascending vocals, supporting those dramatic synths. There’s a desperation to the melody in the chorus – pleading and insistent in a way that gives the track emotional heft. But, my favorite aspect of Can I Love You arrives after the chorus. A pitched vocal loop jolts the song to another level as the intensity elevates and the beat becomes more robust. Honestly, they could have given me three minutes of this loop and I would have been happy. I just adore the texture.
The track threatens to grow a bit repetitive as it goes on, but its three-and-a-half minutes pass by in a flash. And with every element of Can I Love You designed to heighten its core melodies, that repetition feels impactful rather than dull. Beggars can’t be choosers, but a more dynamic climax with a satisfying sense of payoff would have guaranteed longevity on my playlist.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This was my favorite song of the album before itself but Love is Gone hits me harder not gonna lie.
But the mini-album is incredible nonetheless!
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My fav from the mini! Such a great album.
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I love this song because it sounds like Fiestar Mirror club dance remix and that is all I’ve ever wanted
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Well you could have done Love Is Gone for that “staying power” but I digress
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Congrats on 1K WordPress followers btw^^
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Love is Gone is my favorite but the whole album is on equal footing for me. They’re all as good as each other.
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Yep, the whole thing is in the 8.5/8.75 range for me!
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I was hoping you would do a buried treasure on this album. I was torn by which song I loved more between “love is gone” and “can I love you”.
I wasn’t as enthusiastic about “thank you” as you were, but the b sides make this comeback a success in my book
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This was my favourite too! It was Love is Gone at first, but I just love the chorus here – the desperation in the melody, as you put it, really gets me (the ‘tears on the dancefloor’ descriptor strikes again haha). This is definitely my album of the year so far, I love the fact that all 4 songs are all equally good, it just makes for easy endless looping ^~^;
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Solid album, can’t wait to see where Brave Girls go next!
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Btw Nick, this track is a fantastic song from Northeast India, it sounds like it could fit perfectly onto the ’86 Transformers soundtrack, so dramatic and epic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo5ijWdlsmE&t=65s
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Well, you know that ’86 soundtrack is pretty much a template for my life! This is a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing. Wouldn’t it be crazy if this sound had some sort of mainstream resurgence?
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Well, it is not popular here, but the sound is quite popular in Northeast India, particularly the state of Nagaland. Here is another great track with that sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fa73lYImoc
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