Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Ever since their return in late 2015, B.A.P have blitzed Korea with a string of diverse genre comebacks, all in a bid to regain the hype that powered their first year after debut. This steady stream of releases has been something of a mixed bag, but you have to give it to the guys for constantly striving to expand their sound. This time around, “Honeymoon” pulls from EDM, casting a dramatic, atmosphere-heavy filter over the genre.
Though the group has given us a few colorful party tracks, B.A.P’s music has never been what I would call “fun.” More often than not, they’ve opted for an angstier style, and I think most would agree that it suits them. “Honeymoon” is more uplifting than their past couple of comebacks, but any sense of pure pop melody is tempered by the dense, oddly washed-out production. It’s almost as if the song is being heard through an echo chamber. The electronics pound with a potent urgency, ultimately surrendering to the repeated vocal loop that overtakes much of the track. It feels like the instrumental wants to absolutely explode, but can’t quite break free of the musical shadows heaped on top of it.
This feeling of aural claustrophobia lends “Honeymoon” an interesting sense of pathos, but it’s also kind of frustrating. The guys are throwing everything they have into the melody, resulting in a series of impressive vocal moments as the song builds to its climax. The pre-chorus also feels suitably dramatic, as does the cinematic build during the song’s first verse. These are the moments when “Honeymoon” truly gets off the ground. But ultimately, it isn’t quite enough for the track to truly soar.
