Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
After a rough start to their careers as effectively a quasi-2NE1/BLACKPINK cover group, BABYMONSTER do still maintain a similar quality on “FOREVER“, but begin to lean more into the vocal side of their predecessors (“As If It’s Your Last“, sorta) and are better off for it.
Unfortunately the second rap verse is completely at odds with this change — as it seems shoehorned in because they couldn’t resist — and it feels like it’s from a different song entirely. Furthermore, the melodies and hooks in the chorus itself feel undercooked (vocal part is too short) or not memorable (stuttering “forever” interrupts said vocal part).
That said, perhaps one of the best things to come out of the vocals discourse is BABYMONSTER trying to separate themselves from the rest by leaning into that image, so maybe going forward we’ll start to get more soaring melodic attempts in their choruses from now on. We shall see, but a hopeful development at least.
