Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Boy group Blitzers are the latest 2021 debut to throw their hat into the ring, joining this year’s rookie class with a boisterous blend of rap and rock. I’ve always enjoyed this genre mash-up, and welcome any attempt a group makes to stand out. To Blitzers’ credit, “Breathe Again” doesn’t simply regurgitate trends from their peers, though the song’s musical touchstones have existed in K-pop since the 90s.
The greatest asset of “Breathe Again” is its energy. Even before the rock guitar barrels in, the opening vocal harnesses a sense of drama. The melody is pitched a little high here, but I like how “Breathe Again” skirts between vocal and rap rather than rely solely on one or the other. Blasts of guitar fuel the verses with a welcome bombast, giving the track a fresh and exciting texture. It also covers for the song’s lack of melodic creativity. The guys largely riff on the same few flourishes — an approach that matches the rollicking nature of the instrumental but threatens to grow a little stale as “Breathe Again” wears on.
The production does the heavy lifting once more during the song’s hook. A chanted vocal underpins this skeletal refrain, lending a larger-than-life emphasis bound to get your blood pumping. These grand, battle-ready chants are beginning to feel a little overplayed in a boy group landscape often painted as a “legendary war,” but I think the arrangement works alongside the turned-up-to-eleven guitars. The song isn’t perfect, but Blitzers have done their job. They’re on my radar, and I’m eager to see where they go next.
