Review: Great Guys - Touch by Touch
Before the review, note the group's name. Shake your head in confusion. Now continue reading.
Like nearly every K-Pop group without a budget, Great Guys have jumped from style to style, from trend to trend, to somehow break out. For every Brave Girls, though, they are a million XUMs, ANSs, Laboums, and more. Great Guys seemed to have strike gold with last year's dynamic and experimental Run, but it failed to garner any real attention. Possibly due to that, they have returned to trend-chasing for their new comeback Touch by Touch.
Well, I don't think it worked, because Touch by Touch is still having no success. A quick look at the song reveals it is trying to be BTS's Dynamite, one of last year's biggest hits. They gave the song an English version (with lyrics nearly as cringe as the original), and a light-hearted, sanitized, commercial, funky beat.
It is pretty clear Touch by Touch is just trying to be a light-hearted fun song, but there are some smart production choices, such as the loose bass in the bridge. The brief high-note also is well done. The funk is slightly more authentic and traditional compared to BTS, but not enough to make me hooked in.
The main central focus of the song is the chorus. The brass adds that ornate fun feels, while the vocal performance adds some dynamism. It is clearly meant for a fun summer, so I am not sure that a spring release is a great idea.
The final 50 seconds of the song are particularly good, with the bass adding dynamism, and the high note supporting. This song is certainly much weaker than Run, but Great Guys are showing consistency for a group their size, creating a trilogy of solid releases with Run, Touch by Touch, and In Summer.
[head was shook in confusion]
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely H&M background track. The video is cute, though, so there's that.
Yep, I could here this song in the background of a million places and stores. Still find it a bit fun at least.
DeleteGreat description of the track :)
Also, like for real. This isn't a Dynamite copycat because the styles are similar but the concepts are different and the way it was structured was more different than the comparisons. So yeah, I enjoy this! I really dig what they did but it is forgettable though. Una is right about the description. I just wished GreatGuys to have a successful career. Their label is nuts for not even pushing them
ReplyDeleteTrue, but what I meant by the Dynamite comparison is that this song would not exist without Dynamite. Great Guys have been seeking a following, and it is clear they have been following trends. Enjoyed it as well, though.
DeleteI am not sure how invested you were in K-Pop 6-10 years ago, but there were several unknown artists, basically taking whatever style was trending, and making it their own. Great Guys are somewhat from that era (along with KNK), and neither are still getting that break-out. I was a big fan on several of those groups, and thus I really enjoy these two as well.
I understand what you meant! But my comment about Dynamite copycat was for a netizen. Not for you. But you are absolutely correct! Without Dynamite there wouldn't be a surge of bright concepts in 2021. Apparently, it is starting to take effect.
DeleteI was a big EXO-L in 2013-15 era but yeah INFINITE, VIXX, BAP, KNK, UNIQ those were the days of hardcore stanning. I really wish KNK would breakout too as well. SUNSET was just a bop.
I also was a big EXO-L back then. The underrated groups from that era I miss the most, wow, some of them were really obscure. Bigflo, N-Train, Phantom, Wonder Boyz, A-Jax, Demian, LC9, 100%, AAA (not the J-Pop group, they are good too), and many, many more. It was a great era for underrated artists!
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