“Are you ready” for D-CRUNCH?
Rookie group D-CRUNCH is back on the music scene with their second mini-album, M0527. Leading single “Are you ready” is a high-energy dance track that brings a different vibe to the group from their debut and first comeback.
The Title: “Are you ready”
Since their debut, D-CRUNCH has always gone for a darker type of concept, with differing melodies to accompany that aesthetic, beginning with the heavily hip-hop focused “Palace” and the much more EDM-inspired “Stealer.” As such, it was difficult to figure out what to expect musically from their second comeback. “Are you ready” can best be described as a healthy mix of the two, with a groovier rhythmic line that’s definitely focused on the dance genre. The song is your generic type of banger, with a heavy influence on a buildup to the drop at the chorus. It’s a track that could be infectious to even a casual listener.
The visuals aim to be less dark than their previous concepts, with more of an influence on contrasting colors to complement the black and white—namely their hot pink outfits in choreography shots. The bright scenes shot in stark white backgrounds contrast the dark shots at a dinner table setting and dimmed choreography shots. What’s really nice as well is the shift in bright focused shots to overly bright neon shots that dim out the members during the rap verses. All of the visual contrasts in the video make it easy to keep the viewer’s attention, and certainly add to the quality of the song.
The Album
M0527 features four tracks, beginning with the groovy “Panorama,” a catchy and infectious opening song that has a different feel from the title track. D-CRUNCH’s signature intensity is definitely present from the moment the boys chorus in. “Panorama” is a great start to the album, as it draws in the listener.
“LOVE RACE” has a surprisingly different type of rhythm and melody from the first two tracks that I find difficult to describe. The melody line sounds like something out of a modern day video game, but that transforms into a fiercer, hip-hop influenced sound in the chorus. It’s definitely a song with a unique flair.
The album concludes with “Love Letter,” a much softer R&B ballad. With the amount of intensity that goes into most of D-CRUNCH’s songs, it’s hard to picture the boys not only focusing on vocals, but singing a softer genre. “Love Letter” is a sweet and sentimental track that definitely has its own charm, even if it differs greatly from the rest of the album.
D-CRUNCH has struggled to gain recognition since their debut, which is shown in their attempt to finesse their signature sound to fit a more popular M.O. Still, it’s easy to see that this young group is full of potential and has a promising future, which is continually shown in their returns to the music industry.