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.
I’m sure readers are as tired of seeing the word “vibe” as I am writing it! However, it’s a very apt descriptor for the moment K-pop finds itself in. Ambitious, maximalist songwriting isn’t yet back in vogue, with many albums stuffed with more subdued sounds. Key is usually immune to this approach, but new album Good & Great feels like his flattest work yet. That’s not to say the songs aren’t solid, but they tend to blend into one consistent… vibe.
But even if this album is my least favorite Key project overall, his charisma and musical acuity guarantee above-average material. Apart from the dull Mirror, Mirror there isn’t a song I dislike here, with the rest of the b-sides running neck-and-neck for “buried treasure” status. Ultimately, I decided to choose Live Without You because its melody appeals to me. I’ll always prize melody over any other element, and there’s a sense of surging drama here that echoes some of Key’s best work. Without going overboard with vocal filters, his performance also has an airiness that adds a nuanced texture to the song’s funk-dance sound.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This was my favorite off the album too!
I liked the instrumental of CoolAs, though wish that song had more melody.
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Agree with this choice! Kickass b-side, one of the best of the year so far
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Surprised you didn’t like the album much, it’s probably my favorite mini (after 9i’s) this year.
i have to agree that it doesn’t have many peaks and troughs, but plays out like a (very high) straight line. So I can’t really pick a favorite and I’d just rate everything except mirror an 8.75 haha.
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I knew this was going to be my favorite track on the album the second he started singing, and I was super happy that the rest of the song held up to that first impression. Big sucker for atmospheric/ethereal sounds, and this fits that bill. The instrumental could have gone bigger/fuller, but it’s great as it is. I love how the different sections of the song fit with each other, and there’s not a bit of the melody that I dislike.
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This song is so slick, it just moves and bumps along, says what it want to say, and just zooooms through it.
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Great, great song, but my favorite might be “CoolAs” cause I live for the vibes. The melodies in the pre-chorus are so entrancing, and the lines are… great
“No matter what the angle, I’ll be looking great though
Choir full of angels, they’re singing this song everywhere I go”
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