LOONA’s JinSoul shows promise on “Singing In The Rain”, limited by languid hook

As the monthly LOONA releases have continued to roll out, the girls’ material has seemed to grow sleeker and more mature. With so many different sounds and genres touched upon, it’s exciting to imagine what the final group will actually look and sound like. Last month’s “Eclipse“ was an intriguing peek into a more ethereal style, while “Singing In The Rain” takes its cues from trendier future bass influences.

I haven’t exactly been shy about my feelings towards future bass as a genre. I can appreciate its inventiveness and complexity, but on a musical level it just does nothing for me. No part of the languid, repetitive hook on “Singing In The Rain” does anything to change that, so it may be best to focus on the song’s more exciting moments instead.

The opening verse may be the most exciting instrumental moment of any LOONA release so far. It’s a flurry of percussion, taking influence from drum and bass for a quick-on-its-feet pattern that only intensifies as we move into the pre-chorus. Throughout it all, JinSoul has full hold of the reigns, delivering a confident performance that marks her as yet another charismatic member of the yet-to-debut group. In the space of three minutes, she offers a variety of tones and vocal styles (and even a brief hip-hop interlude). It’s just a shame that the actual chorus of “Singing In The Rain” is such a drag. The escalation of the instrumental is brought to a lurching halt without enough of a melody to hold attention. It results in a mixed-bag that fails to match the high of “Eclipse”, but still delivers on promise and potential.

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