A K-pop group’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.
Dreamcatcher’s Road to Utopia is a fantastic mini. In fact, song for song, I think it might be my favorite Dreamcatcher album yet. I really appreciate how it infuses a techno edge to the group’s rock sound. Their albums have long featured at least one electropop track as a b-side, but Utopia manages to weave that sound across several songs, even if the guitars usually remain front and center. This is most evident during the album’s excellent intro, which – in a perfect world — would form the basis of every Edenary-produced track going forward.
Given my taste, it’s probably not surprised that I chose the pulsing Poison Love to write about today. But, I actually think I would have preferred the also-excellent Wind Blows as a title track. That song feels like a step forward for the group, without completely abandoning their core style.
Poison Love is a bit more daring, and all the better for it. The track is an atmospheric synth-driven banger, at once reserved and aggressive. The verses deliver a subdued, descending melody that paints mood while retaining a sense of purposeful melody. The pre-chorus is a real standout, growing the soundscape as the performance becomes more dramatic and intense.
We’re then pulled into a super satisfying drop, as the addictive chorus is underlined by pulsing electronics. It stays just shy of the throbbing psy-trance Stray Kids dabbled in during much of 2019. This time, it’s tethered closely to the melody rather than acting as a centerpiece of its own. I just love the steady kick during the chorus. It creates a driving energy that keeps interest building until we hit Poison Love’s incredible climactic note. This is where the instrumental really gets going, chugging with renewed strength as we head to the track’s finale. I would love to hear an entire album of this style. It feels incredibly fresh within today’s K-pop landscape.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I was already hoping that this song will get the Buried Treasure treatment. It’s also my fave track on the album!
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Poison Love!
Much as I adore Odd Eye (toe-to-toe with Deja Vu as my favorite title), I too could’ve seen Wind Blows as a title track. If Break The Wall didn’t exist, I’d easily proclaim it as my favorite Dreamcatcher track to date. (You should watch the MMT showcase performance of Wind Blows. The dance break is SICK.)
But Poison Love is incredible too, it gets better and better with repeat listens. The prechorus is brilliant, the chorus is satisfying, and Siyeon’s high note before the bridge! It didn’t melt my face off the way Silent Night did, but wow the atmosphere is impeccable. Leez and Ollounder doing trance generally brings good things.
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I think the Dystopia trilogy has been an incredible success for them. Their albums’ sales are growing more and more with each comeback, and they’ve given us a lot of great songs (Scream! In the Frozen! Break the Wall! This whole last mini!).
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You picked my favorite song from the album. I really thought you were going to give wind blows the buried treasure review because of the instrumental break in the bridge.
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I think I like Wind Blows better, but it is hard to tell.
Nissy is coming back! Woohoo! In the next month or two, we are getting a new season of Melodifestivalen, Nissy, Kat-Tun, and Sexy Zone! I am so excited!
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I think this is probably my favorite bside of the year so far. Reminds me a lot of silent night that they released a few years ago, and id call that my favorite kpop song of all time
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I am over the moon with this song and love their expansion of their sound! f(x) is my ultimate girl group of all time, but I have to say that dreamcatcher are second, and are definitely my favorite active girl group by far. what a great b side!
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WOW! Our opinions on this song and on the mini-album as a whole, are quite similar.
Here’s my opinion;
DREAMCATCHER ‘Road to Utopia’ Album
First listen:
– Intro: 9.5/10
– Odd Eye – 8.25 [8,9,8,8]
– Wind Blows – 8.5/10 [8,9,8,9]
– Poison Love – 8.75/10 [8,9,9,9]
– 4 Memory – 7.5/10 [8,8,7,7]
– New Days – 8.25/10 [8,9,8,8]
Overall: 8.25 Average [A-]
Second listen:
– Intro: 9.5/10
– Odd Eye – 8.5/10 [8,9,8,9]
– Wind Blows – 8.75/10 [8,9,9,9]
– Poison Love – 9/10 [9,9,9,9]
– 4 Memory – 7.25/10 [7,8,7,7]
– New Days – 8.25/10 [8,9,8,8]
Overall: 8.35 Average [A-]
Some thoughts:
– I think this intro has to be one of the best intros I’ve ever heard. Absolutely stunning production and extremely captivating.
– ‘Odd Eye’ is a good title track and it’s slowly growing on me – that pre-chorus though!
– I think ‘Wind Blows’ will be the biggest grower for me. It’s constantly engaging and has some outstanding segments – I love the dubstep growls.
– I think ‘Poison Love’ has the most potential in the album. I love the ‘production’ and the ‘hooks’ but I think it could have been even more experimental and explosive. It’s slightly too long as well.
– ‘4 Memory’ is simply just not my type of song. It’s not bad but it doesn’t have the intensity and electronic pulse I crave for.
– ‘New Days’ is good. I have no complaints about it but I don’t see myself listening to it again. Too much rock for me but nice vocals tho.
– Overall, a great mini album with a good amount of EDM in there – which is always a plus for me 🙂
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I think I agree with this being the best Dreamcatcher mini so far. Intro + Odd Eye + Wind Blows + Poison Love + 4 Memory is an incredible run and New Days is… not a generic ballad, let’s celebrate that!
I’ve been playing 4 Memory a lot, in particular. We’ve heard that drop a million times but the melodies on the verses and pre-chorus are gorgeous, and the girls really nailed the vocal delivery too.
I hope there will be a second Queendom season so they can be there, I think that a little bit more of exposure to the general public is the only thing that’s shopping them from getting that big breakthrough they deserve (à la Oh My Girl).
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*stopping!
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This song came after Cry For Me and it was PERFECT, it brought me into a new world lol
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for as hard rocking as the girls are, between Sleepwalking, In the Frozen, Cant Get You Out…, this, Which a Star and Silent Night, they sure nail electropop
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Silent Night, In the Frozen, and Poison are in a holy trinity
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New days is slowly becoming my favorite b-side
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