Review: N.Flying - Moonshot

N.Flying have a career arc as confusing as can be. Debuting in 2014 in Japan, they went largely unheard of and commonly went on hiatuses years long. Starting in 2017, and continuing till early 2019, they outsourced their production material to make fun rap-rock songs. This era ended in 2019, when their self-produced soft-rock song Rooftop went viral, becoming one of Korea's biggest hits of the year. Since then, their self-produced material has been strong, but they have yet to recreate Rooftop's success.

Now, they have returned with their self-written first Korean studio album. And can I say, it is fantastic. One of the better ones this year, along with SHINee, SixTONES, and Olivia Rodrigo. It might not always be what you like, but it is consistent, with many different styles of rock.

Lyrically, N.Flying initially caught my eye for their tongue-in-cheek style. Moonshot is not that, and is instead about overcoming trauma and succeeding. However, clever lines make it stand out. The only real thing holding it back is that some of the English lyrics are just grammatically incorrect. That said, this is a strong lyrical work.

Musically, Moonshot is eery, building up and down from a mysterious and old-school stomping rock sound. The diverse voices of Hwesung and Seunghyub allow for a good deal of dynamism. Hwesung provides that strong vocal range and energy to give this song a really styled and noble feel, while hiding pain beneath. On the other hand, Seunghyub provides that gritty emotion to assist.

The first verse opens with Seunghyub singing over a light guitar, with some snapping production. The real start of the song is Hwesung's few quiet new notes before the absolute explosion in the chorus.

The chorus is driven by brass, bass, groovy guitars, and percussion strong and stomping. It feels distinctly like an N.Flying interpretation of Higedan's style. It is big, bold, hopeful, yet elegant. The only pause here is the awkward English phrase "If you wanna change, be not afraid".

The second verse opens with a similar groove as the first verse. Very soon, however, we get a short yet dynamic rap by Seunghyub. It has an almost tipsy feel to it, and the autotune here creates an excellent atmosphere. Hwesung's appearance a few lines later leads to the chorus reappearing. Now stronger than ever with the build to it.

The bridge follows mostly the same style as the verses, just softer, and more like a medieval ballad. Of course, it slowly builds... before suddenly exploding with a gorgeous section by Hwesung leading to an excellent high note, leading to an even better key change.

The ending of this song holds together poetically, like a last dance. It holds together with the instrumentation growing bigger and bolder, and the members getting together for the final chant. Who cares if the English lyrics don't make sense. I wish the song went for a slow fade away, it would work wonders. At least the rest of the song is golden.

Moonshot is far from perfect, but I love it for what it is. Big, experimental, and emotional. It sounds uniquely different from other recent K-Pop songs and is one of the best rock songs this year overall.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: NME