Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

Reason is a song from MyName’s 2015 2nd Mini Album. From the outset, we’re hit with a throbbing electronic beat that doesn’t let up for one second. The propulsive production whips around like a regular dance track on steroids. It has the same intense drive as classics like Shinee’s Lucifer, and builds to a breakneck chorus with similarly clipped vocal delivery. With less finesse, it would have come across as frantic, but instead we get a determined, forward-pushing performance. Also like Lucifer, the song works so well because it’s built on a sturdy frame that keeps getting more complicated and dense the longer it runs.

As wonderful as this all is, my favorite part is actually at 2:46, when most of the production drops out and we’re left with a beat and rap, which gradually builds back up to the absolutely explosive final chorus. Producer ZigZag Note has been responsible for a lot of great stuff (including a song that’ll likely feature in a future Buried Treasure post). “too very so MUCH,” the track they ended up going for as the title, was also really great, but Reason deserves to be heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akj_6RlP1KQ