Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
VIXX impressed me with this comeback just by their teaser pictures, which were among the most impressive and intriguing I’ve seen, so the expectations I had for “Shangri-La” were quite high. Thankfully, they came through for the most part both musically and visually.
“Shangri-La” is one of those tracks that could get boring and uninteresting if left to its own devices and underlying beat. Thankfully then the production included some twists with synths, snaps, and traditional sounds, the synths in particular at times coming in almost off-beat from what was expected.
Another thing that elevated this above the tripe it could’ve become is the the altering of the delivery of the vocals in terms of pace, which helps keeps the listener engaged and makes the track more interesting than it would’ve been otherwise. Despite those twists, it also has a wonderful sense of rhythm to it, as everything flows together and makes sense within the track.
Of course this isn’t breaking new ground, but “Shangri-La” has enough bells and whistles to separate itself from the rest, with the traditional sounds coming through especially well. For a song that isn’t a banger, it’s surprisingly addictive and I’ve found the replayability to hold up well.
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While I thought highly of the music, that maybe wasn’t even the best part of the comeback.
I’m here for this, shit is sick.
My only complaint? The choreography should’ve utilized the fan a lot more, as that drew my attention.
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VIXX are one of those groups that I know are relatively successful, but because they never seem to be treated that way, they feel a bit unappreciated most of the time. And comebacks like “Shangri-La” prove VIXX shouldn’t be overlooked, as this is a complete and impressive effort from concept to music to video.
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