BY JOSIE WHITE
Izna is a K-pop girl group formed through a competition show and produced and managed under THEBLACKLABEL and WAKEONE. The members are Mai, Bang Jeemin, Koko, Ryu Sarang, Choi, Jungeun, and Jeong Saebi. After a string of lackluster releases, this recently released EP stands out as a gem in their discography. If you would like to form your own opinion of the EP before reading my review, consider stopping here. It should be available on all major streaming platforms. Consider checking out the music video.
The EP contains the following five tracks. I will review each track separately and then the EP as a whole.
- “METRONOME”
- “R.I.P.”
- “INFINITY”
- “ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS”
- “LEAN ON ME”
“Metronome”
The first song, also the title track, is called “METRONOME.” The entire vibe of the track is a bit mellow, while the lyrics tell the story of finding peace and calm in the flow of music. The lyrics, in a mix of English and Korean, flow together well and paint a vivid picture. The dance break is well made and the chorus is memorable. The track feels atmospheric. From the verses to the pre-chorus and then the chorus, everything flows together. Then the chant-singing post-chorus with a more complete instrumental hits, and heightens the energy of the track. The piano part of the track, almost acting like percussion, adds a fun flair. The chanti-ness of the post-chorus could be viewed as a bit annoying, however when played in the right setting, it becomes a fun way for people to sing and engage with the track. The verses and bridge are quite melodic, so people probably couldn’t sing to that. The final chorus is a bit too short, which unfortunately is a common trend in K-pop right now.
While their previous title tracks have been generic and bland, with only the single “Sign” standing out. K-pop is an overcrowded space as it is, and having bad music won’t help them gain success. This style, specifically known as Diva House, on the other hand, cuts through the noise and stands out. No one else in K-pop is making mellow dance-pop/EDM inspired house right now. This could become their signature and they could carve out their own nice niche. The girls are all talented and I would like to see them succeed, so I hope THEBLACKLABEL takes advantage of these genres to the fullest. This track cleared the bar I had set for them and blew me away. This track gets a 9.5/10.
“R.I.P.”
While the title track was mellow, this track is darker. This song is more of a pop-rock track. The transition from the smooth, almost dragging verse to the chorus is a bit sudden; the pre-chorus struggles to build any tension. The chorus is quite fun, since it explodes from the verses. Some choruses in K-pop feel so dead now, which makes it ironic that “R.I.P.” feels so alive. The energy doesn’t die, as it goes into a rap section next, still keeping some of the instrumental parts from the first verse. The rap feels like the natural progression of the song and doesn’t feel forced. Here the pre-chorus is much more clear, and the purpose of the quiet pre-chorus is made more clear as it builds a quiet before the storm of the chorus.
The bridge comes on a little sudden, but builds more dreamy quiet then tension as the track heads to the final chorus. We get to hear the girls flex their vocal skills. The final chorus adds some nice synths to the chorus, and some of the “R.I.P.s” are whispered now. All these combine to make the outro memorable and different from the other choruses. Overall, the song uses tension and release, is full of energy in all the right places, and avoids many traps of modern K-pop. It is not trying to be extraordinary or experimental, and it is enjoyable. 9/10
“INFINITY”
Two of the members, Bang Jeemin, and Ryu Sarang participated in writing the lyrics for this track. This is a melancholy, floating EDM track. This track really does feel like floating in space. The verse provides a little bit of propulsion through the track. Then, the beat pauses during the pre-chorus, giving the track a weightless feeling. The breaths of the members are still kept in, giving the track an intimate feel. Then the EDM chorus hits, and the beat comes back. The feeling of melancholy exploration of forever love blooms, and it sounds as though you are now seeing all the stars and the beauty of infinity. If outer space had a K-pop song, this would be it. The next verses feel brighter and more hopeful. After the pre-chorus and the chorus, the bridge comes, feeling yearning and hopeful. The final time the chorus hits there are beautiful adlibs. The song’s lyrics are about asking someone to be their forever love. For the first time writing on a track, the two idols did an excellent job. It seems that izna is continuing the artistic vision set with “Racecar,” a popular b-side from their previous EP Not Just Pretty. I hope they keep this genre up. I hope that THEBLACKLABEL will continue to give the girls tracks like this. It suits their style. 9/10
“ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS”
This song has relaxed, airy vocals over a twinkling instrumental. It is R&B inspired, which makes the verses stand out. The pre-chorus’s melody is forgettable but the instrumental has interesting EDM elements in the background that get louder and clearer to create tension. Then, what made this track interesting is thrown away as an anti-drop that leads to a sing-chanty chorus over a thumping, generic beat. The rap lines are a little cheesy, but it’s nothing for a seasoned K-pop fan. This rap section and the pre-chorus bring back the sparkling, EDM instrumental. This unique instrumental is lost again in the chorus, which makes it a sound bit more boring and generic. The chorus on its own is fine, at least for a B-side, but feels like such a disappointment after the beautiful instrumental in the verses and pre-chorus. It feels like it is from a different song. The singing itself lacks energy.
The instrumental does it’s best to help hype up the chorus, but the instrumental is boring. The outro is interesting, however, as it combines the chanty style with the striking instrumental, providing a nice combination that would have been welcome in the choruses. Another thing is that the outro uses a pentatonic melodie, which gives the outro a melody that is familiar to the audience. Pentatonic melodies are common in East Asian traditional music. The ending of the outro, which adds in more EDM elements, is great. It gives the song the shimmer it held in the pre-chorus. The chorus is a disappointment, but the verses and outro shine. 7.5/10
“LEAN ON ME”
The track has a more optimistic, that makes sense as the closing song of the EP. It feels like the song equivalent of “It’s been rough, it’s been sad, but it will get better.” The lyrics mirror this with the story of telling someone that they will “always be the one you can lean on.” The chorus’s melody isn’t memorable, but the emotions the girls pour into it make it nice. The song is pretty straight forward. The post-chorus is a little shorter than I would have liked. I wanted the EDM chorus to continue. This song feels similar to “INFINITY.” I like the stability of the verses, compared to the waitlessness of the prechorus, and then the burst of energy of the chorus. The 2nd verse lasts a little longer than I expected. It feels like it is treading water. I would have given some of the time from the verses to the post-chorus.
The bridge has a surprising pulse and beat underneath, which leads to an instrumental freeze over a high note and then a final chorus that is not much different from the first ones except a couple of notes that change, and then the song suddenly cuts off. This song is fine. Just fine. It’s nice as a closing to the EP, but it doesn’t stand out. My main complaints are about how the verses feel a bit long and don’t really go anywhere. I would have given less time to the verses and more to the post-chorus. I also wished that perhaps instead of a second verse they had a gentle rap to keep the energy going. Also, the outro should have been longer. 7/10
‘Intentional consistency’
As a whole, the work is cohesive. Unlike many K-pop groups, it doesn’t feel quite random and instead feels intentional. With ⅗ songs being EDM. The EP feels longing, melancholy, and even full of rage at one point, but manages to be hopeful at the end of the day. All in all, this is the most solid release of theirs yet, and it is one of the best releases of K-pop this year. If I only did averages from the song reviews above, this EP would score 8.4/10. However, adding in the overall consistency of tone, emotion, and genre, and how this EP functions as a whole, this EP gets a 9/10. I encourage you to listen to the EP yourself if you haven’t already and see if you agree with my review.
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