[Review] WJSN thrills with the compelling “As You Wish”

Though I wouldn’t have predicted it when they debuted three years ago, WJSN have slowly become one of my favorite girl groups of their generation. In many ways, they’re filling the same niche that GFriend did during their first two years. Their music is neither cutesy nor “hard.” It hits that sweet spot right in the middle. It’s lushly produced, melodically compelling and crisply performed. WJSN have already had a great 2019. “As You Wish” may just be their most satisfying title track yet.

The group has switched up producers for this song, but retain their trademark cosmic sound. “As You Wish” is stuffed with exciting moments, kicking off immediately with the chirpy synth loop that will go on to form the backbone of its chorus. The opening verse doesn’t hold back, hitting listeners with enormous synth percussion before slowing to a brief ebb that culminates in a breathless EDM build.

The chorus isn’t the strongest we’ve heard from WJSN, but it’s arranged in such a big, confident manner that the lack of inventive melody doesn’t really matter. I love how the tempo speeds up for this segment, pounding with the kind of dance floor fervor that makes for a great centerpiece. However, “As You Wish” truly thrills during its final moments, as the girls sing in unison for an unexpected bonus refrain that takes the track out on a high note. I’m a sucker for this particular song structure, which pulls the melody in new directions right before a song’s conclusion. The climactic moments of ATEEZ’s “Wave“ are still 2019’s best example of how powerful this approach can be, but “As You Wish” is right on its heels.

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IATFB says: Ah, I’m glad we finally diverge significantly on a release. Like TheBiasList, WJSN have been one of my favorites musically in recent years. However, while everything that surround the chorus is compelling, that just made the straight-forward generic quality of the chorus all the more disappointing. Also, I thought the vocals surprisingly sorta just blend together. Perfectly listenable, but not anywhere near their best for me.