Mea culpas on Kwon Eun Bi’s “GLITCH” & ASTRO’s “Candy Sugar Pop”, which are great, actually

Every year there’s honestly quite a bit of songs that either grow on me or that I sour on compared to my original impression. This isn’t exactly uncommon or anything, but I figured rather than readers only finding out my thoughts when they make or miss the year-end list, I should give them their due ASAP. I already did a post like this earlier in 2022 with (G)I-DLE’s “TOMBOY”, but here’s a couple others.

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Back when Kwon Eun Bi‘s “GLITCH” was released, I said something like it sounded like an interesting EDM track with some anonymous singer over it. To some extent I still feel that’s still true, as Eun Bi doesn’t feel essential to the song. That said, I also think that sidetracked me from appreciating the production itself, where the fusion of trance, trip-hop, and drum and bass created an alluring soundscape to bop along with.

Upon closer inspection, “GLITCH” also works conceptually, with the track having a disjointed, constantly evolving vibe, and that helps assure that it never bogs down like many songs in a similar mold do. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the chorus as an earworm, with the “I come and go … like a glitch” hook sure to wear down your resistance like it did me.

Mea Culpa Promo

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Don’t quite know why ASTRO‘s “Candy Sugar Pop” didn’t connect with me immediately, as when I reheard the song later on a whim I instantly latched onto its melody. Gonna be honest and say I probably was just tired and got lazy, so I threw it in the Rundown instead of writing it up. I dunno, shit happens, you just try to minimize the incidents.

Anyway, it’s a straightforward, bubblegum pop kind of song, and its general optimism is a pleasant switch away from trends in itself. Despite the bouncy verses being alluring from the jump and managing to carry momentum forward, it’s undoubtedly the chorus that’s the star here. The initial “my candy sugar pop” hook gets showcased, but I found the follow-up sequence of “nunape ocean view, pureun neoul flower bloom, my candy sugar pop, eodideunji hope you tonight” refrain — with emphasis on the ‘tonight’ — to be the most memorable and addictive part of the song. Underneath all that, it leans heavily on synths and percussion hits with some brass accents to create probably one of the better choruses of 2022.

Mea Culpa Promo

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Only three songs in this vein at mid-June is honestly pretty good and better than my usual.