Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
As mentioned in my review of LOVElution‘s debut, tripleS has really yet to miss (horribly, at least), and that streak continues with the latest unit EVOLution. That said, “Invincible” is definitely more in the “Cherry Talk” line of above-average pop tracks rather than the upper echelon the other three singles reside in (“Generation”, “Rising”, “Girls’ Capitalism”). Still, there’s plenty to like here thanks to some excellent production choices, as tripleS continues to be an intriguing group.
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Probably best described as vibey for the most part, “Invincible” is dreamy and brisk, possessing a nice groove that keeps the song pushing forward. That would make for a quality enough effort in itself, but what sold me on the release is the drum-and-bass beat that kicks in during the chorus, as it vaults “Invincible” past other ethereal tracks by not settling for the mood, instead providing needed energy. It’s a surprisingly dense song, yet thankfully it’s at least given three minutes to spread its wings as well.
As alluded to in the intro, I do have complaints, as there are times where “Invincible” feels it was sung in an echo chamber. The production is the star here, as the airy and mostly weak vocals of the girls feel overwhelmed at times, coming together to create a quality that I’d best describe as what-annoys-me-about-many-J-idol-releases-from-large-groups. I’m not a stickler on vocal ability as long as it sounds fine enough, but while groups like NewJeans aren’t exactly known for amazing vocals, even getting to that level would make a significant difference here. As would a more memorable hook, but that’s not a significant obstacle, as the chorus is otherwise nicely filled out.
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Perhaps the obvious comp here is this sounds like a poor man’s LOONA track (the solos/units at least), though I’d argue that’s not exactly the worst place to be on debut. Honestly, I’m not sure exactly how the future releases will go in the tripleS system, or if we’ll hear from this exact unit again. But with the sound LOVElution showcase here, hopefully somebody in that group continue to utilize this light and vibey sound going forward because the producers seem to know what they’re doing.
