RIIZE has had an incredible debut year. ‘Get A Guitar’ cements itself as not only one of my favourite K-pop songs of 2023, but of all time. ‘Memories’ has a chorus for the ages, and ‘Talk Saxy’ has its unique charm. All of the songs were featured in my series of posts titled: Top 100 K-pop songs of 2023 which can be viewed here. Given their strong track record, I came into Love 119 with very high expectations.
Admittedly, I was not sure about this song at first listen. The chanted chorus, which also is the song’s introduction, did throw me off. It is clearly juxtaposed by its melodic production that employs classic chords and a piano instrumental. In my head, this combination should not really work. But somehow, it does.
I had to take a few days to ponder on the reason why, as I played ‘Love 119’ on repeat in iTunes (which is also the first time that I ever bought a song from iTunes- something that is already indicative of my opinion of this song).
The reason is quite simple. The flow, rhythm and cadence of the lyrics in the chorus are just satisfying to listen to. It is easy to remember, and therefore, chant along to. Paired with the beat and chord choice of the instrumental, it successfully blends catchiness and atmosphere brilliantly.
The vocal performance of RIIZE is very commendable, which does most of the heavy lifting by writing the adlibs around the chanted centrepiece. Sohee, their main vocalist, sounds quite great in this track. In my opinion, this is the first song which he was truly able to showcase his prowess.
Summatively, ‘Love 119’ has an unquantifiable quality to its nostalgic production chanted chorus that makes it a winter standout. While, I suspect that it will have good longevity, I am hesitant to give it too high a score given that it was released with a specific season in mind, but its emotional undertones are quite striking, especially if one gives it several listens.
Hooks – 9
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 9
Overall – 9 (for now)
K-pop Evaluated 