Review: Yuqi - Bonnie and Clyde

Yuqi's debut single Giant was a fine song, both in Chinese and English. The (G)I-DLE member garnered praise, but b-side Bonnie and Clyde garnered the love of fans, and thus gained a promotional MV. The views themselves tell the story, Bonnie and Clyde is considered superior to Giant, and has garnered the acclaim of fans.

Thankfully, Bonnie and Clyde deserve the praise. The techno-rock beat can best be described as 'persistent'. Almost like a more commercial version of the basic beats seen in European rock bands like Nightwish. That is a jump, but the emotion certainly seems linked. The songwriters are all of European descent,  This propulsive beat is a great canvas to draw on, and the deep sound is almost mystical. The simplicity of the tune allows the producers and the arranger to write a story on the music. The upbeat synths, reminiscent of Dua Lipa, assist in this story.

This basic formula is not new to music, or to K-Pop, for that matter. The thing setting Bonnie and Clyde apart is Yuqi's vocal performance. Anyone familiar with the K-Pop scene could tell you that female groups often opt for a really pitchy and high vocal range. Many of these singers actually have much more diverse ranges. It seems, however, that they are allowed to show stronger and deeper voices during their solo songs. I mean, compare YooA in Bon Voyage and in Dun Dun Dance. Yuqi was already known as a strong vocalist, and she defined this further with her new solo debut. Her performance is really where this song clicks.

Both the production and vocal performance combine to create a near-perfect chorus. It sounds like a finale car race in the middle of the night, racing for life. It would be a perfect song for the car ride, as I race along until noticing that the speed limit is 25 mph?! So low? All jokes aside, Yuqi's dynamism shows throughout. The bridge is a great example of this, where she gets to stretch her range.

The lyrics of Bonnie and Clyde are cliche, to say the least. And honestly, I wish they'd stop. Bonnie and Clyde in real life were murderers, something everyone forgets. They were glorified by the news back then, trying to sell well during the sad and dark era of the depression. The concept of the bad-guys-in-love is quite popular, though I wish it was a little less about actual murderers.

With Bonnie and Clyde, I think Yuqi peaked my expectations. Bonnie and Clyde may not be perfect, and let down by its lyrics, but it is one of the strongest songs this year without a doubt.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: NME