TOO Makes Powerful Entrance to the K-Pop Scene
As the era of survival shows begins to wind down, winners of show World Klass came together to form new rookie boy group, TOO. Many of our favorite groups of the past arrived through survival shows, which have a knack for discovering talented rookies. The top ten winners were announced back in December, with a target debut for mid-March. However, due to the novel coronavirus, the album release was pushed back to April 1.
The Title: “Magnolia”
The announcement of TOO’s debut came amidst the controversies surrounding Mnet’s survival shows, which was particularly peculiar, considering the opinion of the general public was not favorable toward the model at that point. As such, it’s possible that the attention this group could have garnered wasn’t as high as it could have been under normal circumstances. In fact, compared to most survival show groups, there was surprisingly little hype out on social media for their debut or even much focus on their teasers.
So going into the first listen, it was difficult to know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised with the musical direction the production chose to go in. Anticipation is built from the first second of the video for “Magnolia”, with the ticking clock and rewinding videography catching attention for its unique beginning. The hip-hop driven beat that begins with a focus on the rappers of the group brings the immediate need to groove along with the track, making it almost instantly addictive. With a building of the beat to a drop at the chorus that takes off just as hard, this track has all the makings for your traditional banger with a high level of mass appeal.
The video matches the track well. It focuses on a darker style with an emphasis on vivid colorations that contrast with the overall darkness of the video. There’s a heavy emphasis on choreography showcases the groups’ synchronicity, an extremely important aspect for today’s new groups. The intensity of the music is further enhanced by the recurring sets: an industrial building bathed in red light and a field of bamboo trees bathed in blue. There’s not a strong storyline for the video, but rather a couple of evident metaphors. If you’re tired of extremely complicated storylines, this video will be a refreshing change from that standard, and simply provides some nice aesthetics that should be considered just as valuable, in our opinion.
The Album
Mini-album, REASON FOR BEING : 인(仁) features five tracks total, with the B-sides taking a softer turn from the title in “Take It Slow,” a retro, upbeat pop track with a cuter and brighter feeling compared to “Magnolia.” “Don’t Fear Now” continues along this theme with a bit of a more modern musical sound. The group introduces the soft sound of a ballad in “Everything’s gonna be alright,” a sentimental and soft song that is rather unexpected when measured up against the previous tracks, but that has its own charm and provides a rather warm feeling. Finally, rounding out the album is the bubbly “You Can’t Hurry Love,” a bouncy track that adds an additional level of pep to the other upbeat B-sides earlier in the album.
After exploring the album, it’s safe to say that TOO has a solid debut. “Magnolia” is the best track on the album, so it’s only fitting that it is the title track. That being said, the B-sides don’t quite live up to the power of the title, which may make the album feel less remarkable. There is some variety in genre, but a heavy leaning toward one type of sound. Still, there’s not much to complain about when it comes to the quality of the vocals and rap. It’s worth checking out, and we’re excited to see what the group has in store for the future.