Song Review: Magnetic – ILLIT

In my song review for ‘Feel the POP’ by ZEROBASEONE, I discussed what separates the ‘good’ from the ‘not so good’ among the umbrella term of ‘easy-to-listen’ songs. As of writing this post, ‘Magnetic’ has been out for a good month, which means that I have had a lot of time to carefully sort my thoughts on it. I have come to the conclusion that it there are far more things where ‘Magnetic’ succeeds in doing than not.

Its production is a work of art. It has managed to make the girls’ voices as pleasant as possible, highlighting their distinct timbre. It creates a unique dreamy soundscape that separates them from their sister group NewJeans, and establishes their identity utterly well. I believe that ‘Magnetic’ has done a great job in laying down the foundations of ILLIT’s signature sound.

On the other hand, with the exception of Minju and perhaps Wonhee, I don’t think the vocal delivery of the members necessarily added something to the song. Minju is self-explanatory, while Wonhee’s enunciation of the transition into the chorus (“This time I want-“) is one of the first things that really attracted me to this song. It is simply satisfying. It is no secret that ILLIT as a whole aren’t really strong technical vocalists, but there is still a way to incorporate oneself into a song that adds to it in spite of technical limitations. Some of the best examples come from ENHYPEN (look at ‘Fatal Trouble‘) and IVE. In IVE, I fail to remember a singular occasion when each member has failed to deliver their line in a way that feels like their identity is stamped into them. This is one of the latter’s greatest strengths. In the case of ENHYPEN, they learned over time, and have learned well. I think ILLIT still needs more time to learn this.

After a month of listening to this song anywhere, I have realised that there is something that deeply bothers me about the song’s hooks. Particularly, the melody of the chorus never feels fully resolved. This could play into the idea that one hasn’t ‘magnetised’ into their crush yet (referring to the song’s lyrics) and hence invokes a slight sense sense of yearning and loss, but even with this in mind, it prevents me from appreciating it fully especially after repeated listens. Their b-side ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ does not suffer the same issue, which has given it more longevity for me.

Overall, ‘Magnetic’ is definitely a success, but upon retrospect, it has its limitations.

Hooks – 8
Production – 10
Vocal Delivery – 8
Overall – 8.5