Nayeon made a huge splash on her solo debut, ‘POP!’ when it was released 2 years ago, even being dubbed as the ‘k-poppiest k-pop song to ever exist’ by some K-pop fans. It is easy to see where they are coming from, for it sounds so quintessentially ‘K-pop’, a term that only becomes meaningful if one is familiar with how K-pop sounds sonically, particular in the 3rd generation (around 2014 to 2018). Hence, her follow-up single has been met with great anticipation- for good reason.
I will admit, I put off writing this song review for the past 5 days because there were parts of the song that left me somewhat confused. I took it upon myself to listen to the song a couple of times a day to figure out what triggered these feelings of confusion- which I finally figured out with the help of watching a K-pop reaction video to ‘ABCD’ by a content creator called Kazinho, who brands himself as a ‘K-pop Hater’ (which honestly speaking seems more for marketing purposes than anything). Despite having some controversial opinions, he also delivers some great insight into a song’s production from time to time. My first listen to ‘ABCD’ had me confused about the second half of the song’s chorus because it felt anticlimactic. Kazinho, in the video, pointed out that the song’s chorus feels like a pre-chorus rather than a chorus because of how the brass explodes and the energy picks up. Hence, instead of feeling grounded, like what most choruses do, it continuously builds and tricks you into thinking that it might drop, only to abruptly revert back to the next verse.
Perhaps it would be more useful to visualise the second part of the chorus as some sort of ‘post-chorus’ and the rap/chant first half as the actual chorus. Along with repeated listens, the sense of confusion and anticlimax has mostly waned, and I can fully enjoy the song’s merits.
I love how melodic the post-chorus is. It is so rich and full, and paired with Nayeon’s excellent vocal delivery, it feels very convincing, both as an auditory piece and story (in the sense of what the lyrics are conveying). The verses, while weaker melodically, get the job done and don’t waste any time stalling for momentum. I think that first verse is stronger than the second verse because the latter feels very floaty melody-wise, as in not a single musical phrase really stays in my head, but it is a relatively minor complaint.
Like what most have said about ‘ABCD’, it improves as the song goes on. Because of the strange production choice of making the post-chorus feel like a pre-chorus, there is that slight imbalance of flow which is mostly evened out by the excellent progression from the second chorus to the bridge and into the outro/third chorus. It feels extremely natural and satisfying.
Last but not least, the production has interesting variety, creating different musical textures through the use of an assortment of musical instruments and musical styles as it the song weaves through from section to section. The bass line and the percussion are highlights, drawing the listener deeper and grounding them in the listening experience.
All in all, while it took me a while to make my mind up, ‘ABCD’ is K-pop excellence which takes some time for its charms to fully unfold. I still think that there is some space for it to grow further, but I can see it being a top 10 contender for 2024’s K-pop song of the year.
Hooks – 9
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 10
Overall – 9.25
K-pop Evaluated 
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