ZEROBASEONE’s pre-release ‘SWEAT’ was the rare instance in which a K-pop song never grew stronger/weaker over time (in my specific circumstance). Upon retrospect, I think that it carries a slight sense of predictability in its song structure that prevents me from fully enjoying it despite its lush and developed melodies. Meanwhile, the actual title track ‘Feel the POP’, takes an opposite approach, rearing more muted melodies that are compensated for an engaging drum-bass production that harks back to the sounds of ‘In Bloom’ and ‘CRUSH’.
Interestingly, a common critique I’ve seen of ‘Feel the POP’ is that it is ‘too bubblegum’ and ‘normal’. I can see where they are coming from. We are at an age where ‘easy-to-listen’ music has become the trend in K-pop, with NewJeans, Lesserafim and the newly debuted ILLIT (notice the trend within the trend?) being at the front and centre. Listeners are now posited a new question: how to decide which songs who all fall in this umbrella term are substantially worth listening to?
To answer this question, I shall refer to my past reactions to these type of songs which separated the ‘good’ from the ‘not so good’, and attempt to spot the trends. I had rated NewJeans songs ‘Hypeboy’ and ‘Attention’ substantially more than ‘Cool With You’ and ‘ASAP’. What is common within all of them is that the former two examples simply had stronger melodies that were able to stand the test of time. Both ‘Hypeboy’ and ‘Attention (the former which was even my SOTY of 2024) sounds just as fresh and engaging when I listen to it today, which is not necessarily the case with both ‘Cool With You’ and ‘ASAP’ (though Cool With You is still a good song). Additionally, the production values of the mentioned songs are simply magnificent.
Going back to ‘Feel the POP’, I strongly believe that it has qualities that align more with the likes of ‘Hypeboy’ and ‘Attention’. It’s production, while keeping ZEROBASEONE’s signature sound, puts its own spin on it through the interpolation of the strings (love the harp) that is a constant through most of the song. Additionally, it switches up the second verse in a way that keeps the song dynamic, refreshing, and engaging, while being able to remain cohesive in its overall sound. Not to mention, the gorgeous vocal harmonies slathered all over the chorus definitely earn a lot of bonus points. Attention’s one word chorus was able to work partially because of this same quality, and I don’t see why it won’t age well in the case of ‘Feel the POP’. Finally, unlike several other more mediocre ‘easy-to-listen’ songs, ‘Feel the POP’ has a particular melodic line that resolves everything in a satisfying way situated towards the end of the chorus and the bridge. I believe this keeps everything together.
On a side note, I have noticed that several groups who champion this ‘easy-to-listen’ trend are not technically strong vocalists, but ZEROBASEONE has no such issue with the existence of the likes of Taerae, Zhang Hao, Hanbin, and Gunwook. The rest of the members have unique timbres that are very suitable for different parts of their songs, making them one of a heck of a vocal group. By giving this sound to ZEROBASEONE, ‘Feel the POP’ has a sense of technical refinement that I don’t see present in other similar songs, which gives a greater sense of commitment to the overall song’s intention. I can definitely appreciate that.
All in all, I actually think that ‘Feel the POP’ is stronger than ‘SWEAT’, and I eagerly await to see how it will age.
Hooks – 9
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 10
Rap Delivery – 10
Overal – 9.5
K-pop Evaluated 
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