[Review] THE BOYZ’s “D.D.D” has more pluses than minuses, comes with creepy MV

This April, The Boyz explored lighter territory with the bubblegum pop of “Bloom Bloom.” While I will always be leading the charge for more bright boy group material, the incessant catchiness was almost too sugary to stand as one of the The Boyz’s classic title tracks. New single “D.D.D” pulls back a bit, coming across as a hybrid of the group’s lighter and edgier sides. Because of this, it’s a song that works in pieces, though its highs are more than enough to compensate for the lows.

There’s plenty to love about “D.D.D”. When it chooses to embrace its upbeat nature, it’s an irresistible blast of funky, summertime K-pop. The synth-heavy instrumental has a carnival-like appeal, winding up and pulling back in equal measure. The slow-build verses are unexpected in a track of this nature, but work thanks to the bright instrumental supporting them. Unfortunately, they’re immediately followed by the song’s weakest moment — an entirely unwelcome trap-infused pre-chorus that slows momentum to a crawl. I wish that this segment had been replaced by the hard-hitting electronic break that slices through the middle of verse two. It would have made for a much more galvanizing climb toward the chorus.

Other than this misstep, “D.D.D” stands as a return-to-form for The Boyz. Its explosive chorus echoes past hits like “Giddy Up,” though the repetitive structure feels a bit more contrived than I would like. The song’s strongest moment comes during its bridge, which sets up a satisfying build that culminates in a gargantuan instrumental break. This climax is all too fleeting, but worth the price of admission alone. The Boyz are at their best when they go big, and “D.D.D” offers yet another hint at that limitless potential. They just need to excise the boring bits and hit us with the full, undiluted power we know they have.

======

IATFB says: Buddy, if you listened to the song with the music video, I don’t know how you were able to focus on the music given the near constant presence of that creepy rabbit.