Reviewing Boys Planet Original Songs

This is really quite a late post, considering how Boys Planet ended more than a month ago, but I really do with to give some spotlight to the songs composed for the show as I believe that many of them are quite worth listening to. A few make up my favorite songs of the year so far, so it is only fair that I write about them.

Jelly Pop

Listening to Jelly Pop is simply a cathartic experience. Every single part of the song is crafted to absolute perfection. The song managed to capture one’s attention from the very beginning with a memorable opening that was well-delivered by Boys Planet winner Zhang Hao (who is also my most favorite contestant). The melodic lines throughout the song are so well written that I can practically remember the song from beginning to end. The vocal delivery from all of the contestants was simply perfection. The way they pronounce the words makes it almost ‘sticky’, which helped the song’s longevity. To be fair, the show’s strongest vocalists all managed to join together in Jelly Pop, most notably Hui, Yoo Seongeon, and Zhang Hao. The production nails every element, maximizing every moment to keep the song’s momentum going, keeping the song dynamic in every section. Having played this song ever since its release and having yet to grow tired of it, I feel confident that I can give it the score it deserves- nothing short of perfection.

Hooks – 10
Production – 10
Vocal Delivery – 10
Rap Delivery – 10
Overall – 10

Hot Summer

Honestly, I was quick to shrug off Hot Summer especially considering how strong of a song Jelly Pop is. However, time has been kind to it, and I see much more merit to the song now compared to before. Many of the melodic lines are stronger than I anticipated, and the production was not as flat as I thought.

There are certain moments of the song which are well-done. Most notable include the pre-chorus, which Hanbin and Taerae (particularly Taerae) nail in executing. That particular melodic moment will be memorable for years to come. The same can be said for the post-chorus, in which Ricky’s Vocal Delivery exemplify one’s listening experience.

Hot Summer suffers from inconsistency in both production and execution, but it is still a great song overall. In particular, the song needed stronger vocalists besides Taerae to add the song much needed dynamics. In particular, if this song was given to EXO, it would be able to fulfill its potential. I believe it is stronger than ‘Love Shot’.

Hooks – 10
Production – 8
Vocal Delivery – 8
Rap Delivery – 10
Overall – 9

Over Me

‘Over Me’ at some point was my favorite song from Boys Planet, and one of my favorite songs of the year. Now, while my enthusiasm for it has somewhat waned, it is still a really strong song that deserves to be praised.

Over Me’s production deserves a notable mention. The use of dynamics throughout the song, especially at the last minute is outstanding. While the song starts somewhat plodding, the way it builds up throughout more than makes up for it.

Its Vocal Delivery, particularly by Jay, Ricky, and Zhang Hao is also notably great. Their presence makes the song as good as it is.

The song’s main weakness lay in its verses, which are a far cry from its pre-chorus chorus in memorability and catchiness. However, it isn’t enough to bring down the song considering how strong the other parts are.

Hooks – 8
Production – 10
Vocal Delivery – 9
Rap Delivery – 8
Overall – 8.75

Say My Name

‘Say My Name’ was the most successful original song in the Artist Battle round of the show for good reason (still charting in the Melon Real Chart today!). It might come off as a bit generic and safe, but its tried-and-true approach helped it in the long run, as while I liked Over Me more at first listen, I felt more compelled to play ‘Say My Name’ more than ‘Over Me’ as time went on. The vocal tones of the members suited the song, particularly Hanbin and Yoo Seongeon, which really helps encapsulates the song’s mood and message. The production is really solid, not boundary-pushing, but it ticked all the right boxes.

Hooks – 8
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 9
Rap Delivery (talk singing) – 8
Overall – 8.5

En Garde

En Garde is a song with a lot of potential that I feel made some missteps that hindered it from capitalizing on its best moments.

When En Garde hits, it really hits. In particular, the first part of the chorus and its post-chorus are noticeably very effective hooks that are still moments that I remember to this day. Most notable is especially the post-chorus which is really quite the earworm.

However, when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. The first verse had too many unnecessary diversions in the random seemingly out-of-place talk-rap section before quickly going back to the strong chorus again. Also, the second verse was not something I would want to listen to again. Again, the diversions felt unnecessary. Additionally, I don’t think the song properly climaxed at any part. In the parts where it seemed like it was going to, the production failed to employ enough contrast between the dynamics, which makes the last section sort of merge into each other which makes it nowhere as satisfying as it should be. It had so much potential, but it is what it is.

Hooks – 8
Production – 8
Vocal Delivery – 9
Rap Delivery – 7
Overall – 8

Switch

My main problem with ‘Switch’ is that while it contains many great ideas, it doesn’t feel cohesive and fully executed. The song started off just fine, with an exciting beat that almost echoes Middle-Eastern influences with decently strong verses. However, even though the chorus sounds good and catchy at first listen, I start getting tired of it by the end, which hurts its longevity. This is mainly because the song doesn’t really build up to a certain point. Hence, its final chorus barely feels like a climax because the production doesn’t really amp up to where it should be, lacking in contrast. The song did not commit to what it wanted to do, and that is pretty sad. I particularly liked the tempo change in the dance break which was refreshing, and some parts really do stick. Overall though, I would not come back to this song.

Hooks – 8
Production – 7
Vocal Delivery – 7
Rap Delivery – 9
Overall – 7.75

SuperCharger

I quite like SuperCharger, even though I do have some issues with how it was executed.

First, the chorus of constant repetition of the phrase ‘SuperCharger’ is quite effective, but I feel like it would have been even more effective especially in the final chorus if they layered it with more adlibs. If there were more adlibs in the second chorus and added further in the last chorus, it would easily feel more rousing.

I think the melodies overall were well-written as it is easy to remember afterward. However, Woongki’s rap part is not particularly memorable. There are inconsistencies in the song when it can command my attention.

The song does not require are particularly technical vocal performance, but Seowon’s tight and throaty singing still stood out unpleasantly within the song. For the most part, though, it is quite passable. The rap is a bit more difficult to assess as on one hand, there were incredible performances like Ollie’s which would easily score a 10/10. On the other hand, Takuto’s was quite amateur, and while Woongki tried his best, it still sounded lacking. I do like the talk-singing bits though, Zihao and Haruto were able to pull them off convincingly.

The song’s production is in a style that I don’t usually listen to, if I am not mistaken, it is present in a lot of rap songs. However, it has a pretty general appeal that even as a person who does not listen to this style at all, I still can see where it is going and what kind of effect it wanted to pull off. I believe it was quite successful.

Overall, ‘SuperCharger’ is actually my 3rd favorite song from the Battle Round. It’s interesting, and it stands out from the rest of the releases this year.

Hooks – 8
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 8
Rap Delivery – 8
Overall – 8.25