Review: Chungha - Sparkling

This has been a while coming, hasn't it? As September continues, it is becoming obvious that July was the peak of musical summer this year, and we won't get an extended summer like we did in 2021. The Hallyu Reviews curse is over! I repented, EXO's Power is a summer song.

Okay, back on topic, Chungha released the first part of her Bare and Rare album back in July, and amongst a really, really good anime OST, a K-Pop legend returning, a group of K-Pop legends returning, and an exciting debut, I lost Chungha's Sparkling in the shuffle. I blame that on my previous experience with her music. While I never really disliked any of her songs, I'd be lying if I said she was one of my favorite artists. In a way, I enjoy the idea of a Chungha song more than the song itself. Additionally, seeing Chungha follow trends, abandoning her '90s House sound for synth-pop wasn't encouraging.

A month later, with a mildly weaker release schedule, I came back and grew to appreciate Sparkling much more. A large part of that appeal comes down to the chorus, pairing a catchy refrain with excellent production. I love the contrast between the bubbly, sprinkler-ready synths and the lower guitar-laced synth that define the chorus. In the first phase, the guitar-laced synth tracks Chungha's main melody, while the bubbly synths tackle the first phase, trickling down like a waterfall.

Speaking of which, the chorus has a fantastic melody. I never was much impressed with Chungha as a performer, but she does really strong throughout the song, with the chorus' weakest moment being the only one where she doesn't sing (the whistle hook). If I wished for one more thing from the chorus, it would be a third phase introduced in the second chorus repetition, but it works well enough on its own.

While the chorus is the centerpiece, the verses are no slouch. I usually don't like sugar rush cotton-candy pop music, but Sparkling's hooks are energetic and come together well enough that I find myself jamming to the song, ah-oops and all. Minus a somewhat redundant and silly halftime segment in the second verse, the verses are solid.

Everything leads to a finale that doubles down on the guitar with rock elements and a high note to support. The end result is Chungha's best song just yet, and one of my favorite K-Pop songs of the year so far.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: Hello Kpop