Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Jay Park provided reason for excitement (for me, at least) with the announcement of KISS OF LIFE‘s Natty as the featuring on his single “Taxi Blurr” off his Jay Park Season 2 single album. Thankfully, the combination ended up justifying the anticipation, both musically and conceptually.
While it’s probably a simplistic comp, anytime one combines UK garage influences with throwback R&B and buttery smooth vocals, it’s hard not to think of Craig David. And Jay Park manages to similarly glide over the danceable beat when it kicks in during the chorus of “Taxi Blurr”, featuring the “dangjang taeksi bulleo, baby girl just pull up” refrain that’s subtly addicting. The verses are definitely more on the seductive R&B side, but it’s pleasantly melodic throughout. Of course, I’ve definitely heard him do that before, so just as the track was about to settle down a bit, the injection of Natty really elevated it. While rather wild to be saying that about a rookie (technically) girl group member, it’s also plainly true, as the sound not only fits her vocally like a glove but also starts the interplay between the two that leads to a satisfying finish.
Meanwhile, something also felt missing in the first half of the music video, and he depicts as much himself as events progress in it. After all, it’s not the kind of track you want to be dancing alone to. Enter Natty armed with choreo from HolyBang‘s Honey J, demanding your attention and instantly validating the collab choice, as it fits the both her image and style. Meanwhile, the whole plot and the way it’s directed feels like a trip back a couple decades to R&B music videos from that era, complete with glossy choreography scenes with the two of them.
While I haven’t been enamored with some of Jay Park’s recent output, this throwback joint results in some of his better work, blending not only genres and eras, but also K-pop generations by picking the perfect collab partner in Natty and effectively utilizing her talents. While this isn’t typically a genre I’m on here singing praises about, “Taxi Blurr” figures to be a playlist mainstay for me.
