Song Review: WE GO by The Wind

Just as I thought things couldn’t be better after the noteworthy ‘Island‘ and excellent pre-release ‘Summer Vacation‘, ‘WE GO’ swept me up completely on The Wind hype train.

Not a single element of the song felt superfluous- whether it be the chanted sections, rap sections, verses, chorus, percussion- you name it. Everything came together in such a way that it gave me the feeling that everything is as it should be. It isn’t every day where I get that feeling from any song there.

From the get-go, ‘WE GO’ already feels more focused than ‘Summer Vacation’. As each member passed on the song the next, alternating between sang and chanted phrases, the transitions are absolutely seamless and cleverly incorporated. While The Wind members have rapped before, by far, WE GO is the best showcase of their skills, proving their natural flow and ease with the rhythm. I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only do they sound good, but their parts feel integral to the song as each phrase supports and prepares the next. This, is what you call good songwriting. Far too often in K-pop we see rap sections sounding quite out of place and unnecessary, becoming obvious that it was never meant to be there from the beginning. The most noteworthy offender I can think of from the top of my head is easily TWICE’s ‘Set Me Free’.

The strong main vocalist (just did research and found out his name is Shin Jaewon, gotta keep note!) pulled even more of his chops in ‘WE GO’, as the chorus and general melodic line being even more demanding than both ‘Island’ and ‘Summer Vacation’. He absolutely delivered! The strength and power behind his belts make the song sound convincing in its execution. Songs of this genre (Gfriend-esque) need this power vocal in order to be effective, and thankfully, there is a man for the job!

The melodic line in the chorus is even stronger than in ‘Summer Vacation’. While the chorus of ‘Summer Vacation’ makes use of the suspended chords that create a unique and euphoric feeling in the beginning, the melodic line in ‘WE GO’s chorus is overall more robust, with its very pleasant descending riff strengthened by the solid vocal performance. Both choruses stand strong on their own merits.

I did not expect The Wind to go for a chant-heavy bridge, but it ended up making a perfect interlude leading to the song’s climax and power note, further strengthened by the incredible production.

Overall, the boys sell it so well that I am not even opposed to be giving a full score.

Time will tell if this holds up like I know ‘Summer Vacation’ will (my gut is telling me that ‘Summer Vacation’ may even rise to a full score thanks to the amazing chorus), but right off the bat, ‘WE GO’ is unquestionably one of the best K-pop songs of 2023. The Wind has released a hit after hit after hit (literally). I think they are well on their way to becoming an iconic group on their own right, separating themselves from merely being labelled a ‘male Gfriend’. Time will tell. But for now, absolutely well done to the boys, and they deserve to be proud of everything they have already accomplished in their career. And of course, as a nugu group, I pray they won’t disband. Please support The Wind by buying their albums (if you can)!

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