Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Infinite’s discography as a whole is known for its epic, almost symphonic songs. Much like its predecessors “Before the Dawn” and “Bad”, “The Eye” perfectly blends modern beats (i.e. EDM) with orchestral strings.
The utilization of prominent violin and piano lines are what proved “The Eye” with a well-paced and sufficiently epic build. This build is one of the best that I have heard in a while. Both the beat drop (which is done with strings as opposed to synth) and the pounding drums thrust the listener forward in the song’s unspoken narrative. The orchestration tells a story on its own, shifting from a sense of urgency to calm.
Despite my positive reaction to the pacing, it must be said that the build-up and eventual ‘climax’ can be a bit polarizing. Instead of growing to a grand, bombastic chorus, “The Eye” instead lets up at the chorus. This chorus, with its repetition of the “e” in the “yeo” sound, is wonderfully catchy. Some may see the sudden drop-off as awkward, but I quite enjoyed the change of pace. Moreover, instead of overdoing the chorus, “The Eye” once again picks up at the breakdown. Just hearing the breakdown made me anticipate the song’s choreo.
My only real qualm with the song was the odd inclusion of English spoken word sections. I do not understand why “The Eye” needed to have both the beginning and breakdown signified by old-timey voices. It added nothing to the song and was legitimately annoying (and slightly jarring). Luckily, the song is only interrupted by these sections twice.
Not to be undone by the song itself, the MV for “They Eye” further builds upon the sense of unease established in the song. The choreography is decidedly aggressive with many of the moves mimicking punching motions. Taken alongside the action in the non-dancing scenes, the whole presentation is wonderfully cinematic.
After putting all the pieces together, INFINITE definitely cover all their bases with “The Eye”, and the result is a complete effort from the instrumentation to the structure to the execution.
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“The Eye”
‘Infinite Only’
