Review: w-inds - Strip
w-inds as a J-Pop group have been active since 2001. The surprising thing is their members are still in their mid-30s, despite their early debut. This is especially evident when one watches their early MVs, and realizes that the members have been in the industry since their young teen days. Reduced to two members after founding member Ryuichi Ogata left the industry last year for his health, w-inds have now returned with Strip.
For the last few years, w-inds have been building a funk-based sound. For the last few years, funk has become a leading part of the retro revival, and thus the w-inds seem ready to pull in some retro funky dance-pop.
A large part of this funk revival has been Dua Lipa's 2020 album Future Nostalgia. Strip draws from arguably the album's most famous single, Don't Start Now. From the future bass pounding throughout the song, particularly the chorus, to the orchestral touchstones, it is clear what inspired Strip.
This does not mean Strip is by any means generic. Instead, it has been a fun, even if a little trendy, dance track.
Before I talk about the song, I want to talk about the title phrase. Despite how it sounds, "Baby you can strip", the catchy hook in the central refrain, seems to have nothing to do with sensuality. Rather, it seems to mean "Strip off your forced personalities, be yourself". The lyrics definitely mean this, if read in whole, but the phrase just comes off as awkward for an English speaker. Maybe it is because different cultures would think differently at one word, but it is hard not to cringe at the line.
The song instantly opens with an extended pre-chorus. This shows great faith in the pre-chorus. Here, it is ultimately very useful, as the pre-chorus is very good. The stunning synth strings are counteracting by some deep piano chords. This balance helps the surging hook gain some stable ground, and lets it sore higher. Each time the pre-chorus arrives, it is worth raising the volume to appreciate each and every instrument.
We are then, err, dropped into the anti-drop. The anti-drop structure has certainly been a bit overused for the past few years, but Strip manages to make it work via a consistent build. Notably, the call-and-response, along with the twisted vocals, creates an excellent playground for the song to build on.
The second verse is fine. It is a little let-down by a jarring rap break, but we are soon back on track with the pre-chorus. This time, the anti-drop refrain is assisted by an orchestral post-chorus, which works quite amazingly. The synth string quarter notes work well with the piano and drums. Arguably, this is the song's peak each and every time it arrives.
All of this leads to the final chorus, where each refrain is punctuated on top of the other, creating a sense of overblown drama. The stretched ad-libs act as a strong icing on this well-baked frost cake. Concluding the song on a high.
Strip is all about its overblown drama, and the producers and performers both know this. Each and every note is well written, with just the right amount of fun in the driver's seat.
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