Review: SHAX - MALO

The K-Pop scene has always co-existed with the K-Drama scene. Part of that has been K-Dramas starring K-Pop stars being about K-Pop. Of those, I think You're Beautiful from 2009 is perhaps the best known. In it, the main cast is from a fictional rock band A.N.Jell and includes members from FT. Island and CNBlue. Despite them being fictional, they actually performed some of the OSTs at concerts or at special events.

New K-Drama Imitation plays on a similar trick. It is a drama literally about the idols and features several fake groups made up of actual idols. Many of them are 'debuting' the OSTs in the real world. SHAX is the first one of those to get an MV. The group includes members of SF9, U-Kiss (Jun is the main protagonist of the drama), and ATEEZ, specifically main vocalist Jongho.

On first listen, it is obvious that MALO is written as a drama OST. It has those peaks and 'strong' moments, perfect for an opening theme, or when our hero will do something cool. It is built on a guitar-driven groove. The verses are pretty much the big issue. They aimlessly wander around without a purpose. The only thing keeping them from falling apart for me is Jongho's extraordinary vocals. The rappers do their best, but the beat is a tad outdated, something that would have been trendy a year or two ago.

That said, the central refrain is clearly what this song is all about. Remember what I said about the opening theme, or the cool moments, the chorus is for those times. The rest of the song is kind of just for fans who seek a full version. The electric guitar shreds through the beat, while the mild falsetto creates a good atmosphere. The real reason it works so well, however, is the call-and-response. An often underappreciated trick up a composer's sleeve.

I like what MALO is trying to be, but when there are many better classic K-Drama theme songs with a rock background (read: City Hunter theme), I am not sure how often I'll come back to MALO. But as far as pure idol pop for a K-Drama goes, this is a mild success.

Rating: 7.25/10

Image Source: The Bias List