Review

Buried Treasure: TWS – Keep On

Posted on by 11 Comments

TWS - Keep OnA 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.

TWS’s Summer Beat is a varied album, but it’s tied together by the youthful energy and personality of the group. Despite enjoying every song, I don’t think there’s a b-side as fantastic as Sparkling Blue‘s First Hooky. However, each sonic shift works surprisingly well (even the uncharacteristically swaggy Double Take). Apart from the one-two punch of standout singles hey! hey! and If I’m S, Can You Be My N?, the album’s secret weapon is leader Shinyu’s deep, expressive rap voice. He’s got such a characteristic tone and way of phrasing that gives the music a ton of personality.

I could have featured any song as a buried treasure (they’re pretty much all in the mid-8’s for me), but I find myself coming back to the melodic, uplifting Keep On (내가 태양이라면) most often. Co-written/produced by SM stalwart Kenzie, this song feels like the soundtrack to a teen road trip movie. Gentle guitar and tropical synth squiggles give it a summertime appeal, while classic pop melodies compliment TWS’s “boyhood pop” concept. Then, we’ve got a rousing post-chorus hook that delivers my kind of cheesy, self-empowerment bombast.

Though Keep On isn’t as instantly flashy as other tracks on the album, it’s the song I can imagine sticking around the longest. There’s something so timeless about its sound and its fleshed-out melodic structure will have you singing along throughout the season.

 Hooks 9
 Production 8
 Longevity 9
 Bias 9
 RATING 8.75

Grade: B+

11 thoughts on “Buried Treasure: TWS – Keep On”

  1. I’ve noticed you definitely have a preference for ‘tropical’ or summery sounding songs. It’s not my thing, but I can appreciate it for what it is. It reminds me a bit of a mix of Snuper’s ‘Shall We Dance’, BF ‘I’ll be there’, and Day6 ‘I Wait’? (I grew up listening to 70s and 80s Spanish radio hits, and these songs bring so much nostalgia)
    Side note, Kenzie has been busy this year 😭 (reminds me of her excellent output in 2022)

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    • Well…she apparently has worked with them on something, but it seems the song hasn’t made it to the lineup yet for some reason. Another very notable name was in the credits of the song too🫢🫣

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      • I haven’t seen anyone talk about this yet. maybe it’s the song in the RIIZING trailer? hopefully.

        Another very notable name was in the credits of the song too

        who?

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        • I know, it’s supposedly a leak (other leaks from this person proved to be true), so they posted a table of a song called “fake for your sake” (?), and after the name authors were Kenzie and Dem Jointz. Maybe one day we find out, I’m not sure if it could be the one from trailer tho..

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  3. Love the tropical edm in this, I realised that it’s a shame we only have 11 songs still😆. Shinyu really is one of the rare rappers to appear out there that contribute a lot rather than take away from the song (along with BND’s but they have a different style). His lines always have a very well chosen place and they don’t ruin the pace, so it seems that his rap goes hand in hand with his way of performing- unagressive and unpretentious, yet charming and impactful.

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