Review: NU'EST (Ren Solo) - Rocket Rocket

I have not talked much about it, but I was a massive fan of Nu'est back during 2012/13, when they were somewhat obscure rookies, especially in the west. Initially, the thing that caught me was the members' fashion, interestingly enough. Ren stood out, for blending feminine and masculine into a look that still stands as one of the most unique in modern music. Of course, the vocal and rap prowess kept me coming back. Plus, with songs like Action, Beautiful Ghost, and Face, Nu'est seemed to have an avant-garde masterpiece coming right up. Of course, they fell from influence soon and switched to different styles. Then, they finally gained massive attention in Korea due to the Produce franchise, and have stuck to releasing house music ever since. I really enjoy some of these releases, but I still can't help but feel that I am still waiting for the said avant-garde piece.

NU'EST recently released their second studio-length album, as 9-year veterans of the industry, they certainly took things slowly! The first half of the album is pretty much typical modern NU'EST, but the second half is pretty great. All 5 members get solos, which are probably the 5 best songs on the album. I could have written about any of the 5, but Ren's release is especially pleasing.

Ren always sounded like he could be a second Junsu, ready to release an experimental masterpiece. Unfortunately, Rocket Rocket is certainly not that but is a high-octane dance track. It has an electronic rock groove, which never releases throughout most of the song. It culminates in a massive drop chorus, sounding a lot like a quintessential club anthem. Ren enters in the second half to add a little bit of vocal melody.

Throughout the track, all the vocal hooks are choppy, almost cut-up. I feel this is a purposeful choice. This was done last month by Demian's excellent Love%. But that song had a stronger thematic reason to do this, and it was done more sparingly. Thus, the usage of this trick here doesn't work too well.

The vocal processing does not do much to solve this, but it adds a dose of attitude, almost a slightly edgy feel (for a song called 'Rocket Rocket'). Now all that is left to see is if future releases by Ren expand on this sound, and realize those masterpieces I still seek from NU'EST. Who knows, maybe even NU'EST will return and release their magnum opus soon.

Rating: 8/10