Flashback Review: Brave Girls - Rollin'

Year Released: 2017

Brave Girls' rise due to their 2017 song Rollin' is super deserved. I mean, I kind of have been wishing for this since 2017, and I am greatly satisfied. It was bound to happen, though I am still counting it as a 2017 song. I hope it gets a win though.

Rollin'-'s resurgence comes from the Korean military, where it was a massive hit, even to this day. It always sounded like it should have a big hit in Korea. It is uncomplicated, has a strong melody, and is (currently 'was') trendy. 

The song is driven by tropical synths, but has some strong synthpop elements. Expected, as the legendary Brave Sound wrote this. In fact, I think Brave Ent knew this was a potential hit, that is why they constantly re-released it.

There are two ways to interpret the lyrics. The first is that it is a simple love song. To me, the other one makes more sense. That other one is that the lyrics hint at an obsessive, near one-sided attraction. Maybe I am overreading it, but that could explain the sense of dread I feel at times in the song.

The verses have a nice groove constantly in the build (still have no idea what "I wanna you" means). It is classic Korean female idol pop, and a strong example of it.

The chorus is when the song comes to reach its potential. The groove is great, so is the vocal performance. The post-chorus also has great synth-usage. Each hook builds to a better one, never letting down.

After a great bridge, we get the high-note-driven chorus. Rollin' pulls no surprises, and in a good way. The song is a joy all the way through.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: Soompi