Review: Acid Angel from Asia (SSS) - Generation
Sometimes, the world of K-Pop comes across a mad genius who can create a conceptual world and innovate the industry like few others. At the same time, many of these geniuses have proven cruel and controversial, as they often mistreat their young idols with their boisterous and ridiculous ideas. Jaden Jeong is the latest in this long tradition of twisted geniuses, behind the rollout for cult status groups such as LOONA and OnlyOneOf. His latest group, SSS, relies on rotational sub-units, with each sub-unit disbanded if it does not reach an enormous amount of sales. At the same time, the group is to communicate with fans via the purchase of NFTs, a decision that has understandably confused and frustrated many.
The worst part of Jaden Jeong's twisted rollouts is that he can notice the changing of winds and create a track perfect for the era. OnlyOneOf's turn to more sexual material grew them a loyal fanbase, while LOONA's debut rollout is arguably the most iconic of any group in the 2010s. Seeing the success of NewJeans, Jeong adapted their youthful style with a gen-z vibe that works much better than anyone would want a Jaden Jeong song to be.
The song opens with a catchy "La la la" hook, and never lets go from there. Compared to NewJeans' nostalgic and cathartic look at childhood, debuting SSS sub-unit, the hillariously named Acid Angel from Asia's song Generation is a catchy look at the chaos of youth. The large "La la la" acts as the anchoring hooks, at the same time acting as a pre-chorus and a post-chorus throughout the song. It also helps the chorus is a volley of hooks, each better than the last.
Despite its simple-looking melodies, Generation abandons the AABA segment. There is only one verse, followed by a chorus with its multiple phases, a brief musical interlude, before we are thrown into the chorus grinder once again. This welcome, as the interlude and verse don't do much, acting as meer downtime before the chorus arrives once again.
Thankfully, the chorus is really, really good. The aforesaid hooks are fantastic, but the members perform really well, with a nice youthful vocal sting to them. The vocal performance never reaches the euphoria of NewJeans' Hype Boy, but it doesn't have to. The groovy, brassy funk-based production adds a level of freedom to the song. Generation feels truly alive, and that is certainly a welcome sign in what has largely been a forgettable year for K-Pop.
Rating: 8.5/10
Listen to and purchase Acid Angel Asia's debut EP right here!
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