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.
P1Harmony continue to stretch their hip-hop sound on new mini album Disharmony: Find Out. Unsurprisingly, my favorite track happens to be the most energetic and bombastic. Over the past year or two, I’ve been waxing nostalgic over the big festival EDM sounds of the early 2010’s. Global pop music is coming out of a very subdued, minimalist stage (likely a direct reaction to that early-10’s style!) and I’m itching for faster, more overwhelming energy.
Follow Me is pretty generic, but it fulfills that desire for larger-than-life intensity. The song kicks off with a galvanizing force and never lets up – a rarity for K-pop boy groups these days. The beat has an industrial drive, giving P1Harmony plenty to chew on. When much of the instrumental pulls away for the pre-chorus, the group is given a chance to showcase a brief bed of harmonies. This relatively empty space is short lived, as Follow Me soon bursts into an explosive hook.
This chorus is par-for-the-course when it comes to EDM anthems, mainly consisting of excited “whoa-oh-oh’s.” With this in mind, it’s hard to give Follow Me an effusive, over-the-moon rating. But, I can confidently say I’ll be playing this track quite often (especially during workouts). There’s something about this kind of energy that transforms a simple series of hooks into an invigorating call to arms. I’d love to see P1Harmony tackle this style of song for proper comeback promotions.
Hooks | 8 |
Production | 9 |
Longevity | 8 |
Bias | 9 |
RATING | 8.5 |
This whole album is really solid. I was pleasantly surprised.
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I am into this entire album. I guess I am a little P1Harmony, but there is something so propulsive and energetic in their performances. Unlike many rookie groups, they thrive on charisma rather than their producers. Even weak tracks like Do It Like This work with their energy. They do this EDM excellently too!
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The EP is very coherent, all songs have a hiphop tone but are developed in different ways. Do It Like This grew on me and I love how they are serious into being a hiphop group instead of doing this hiphop sound just because it’s what everyone else seems to be doing. Follow Me and Before the Dawn are my favorites.
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Fun fact: Bsides ‘Follow Me’ and ‘If You Call Me’ (from their 2nd mini) are done by the same composers—P1Harmony, Park Soo Seok, Seo Ji Eun.
‘Follow Me’ was the song I was looking forward to the most when I first heard the highlight medley, and it did not disappoint. Knowing that this the only track in this mini where P1HARMONY has taken part in composing, it makes me a lot more hopeful for them to show off their own creations.
Like KXXEO has said: I too love P1HARMONY dedicating to the hip-hop genre and filling in that empty space in the K-pop market themselves.
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True! And it’s not just a sort of trend-jumping
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What about money? I think its the best and deserves 8.5-9 at least!
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