Dreamcatcher Shifts Genres With “Boca”
Dreamcatcher is back on the scene with a new innovative sound! We all know the girls are masters of the horror genre, and in recent years they’ve experimented with new sounds to add to their metal-driven melodies; “Boca” is exemplary of this shift. The girls may have found a perfect mix that only they are able to tackle, showing the world once again that Dreamcatcher has something that no other group has to offer.
The Title: “Boca”
If you’re a long time fan of Dreamcatcher, there’s no way you can expect the opening of this song. While rock is expected at the forefront of the melody, it is virtually absent as Gahyeon begins her vocal verse. The Latin-infused melody is something we’ve never heard from the girls and is admittedly jarring at first, though not necessarily in a bad way. It’s different, but it’s also catchy as hell. The tempo isn’t quite predictable; as soon as you get comfortable with the beat, Dami comes in with absolute fire and breaks up the expectation. With Siyeon and Yoohyeon building up the anticipation to the drop in the chorus, the high-intensity metal influence kicks in that we know and love from the girls. The combination of metal and Latin beats is not something expected, and something only Dreamcatcher could pull off. As the intensity of the track builds up to Siyeon’s gorgeous high note, you’ll certainly feel goosebumps building on your arms. Only a true work of art could elicit such intense response. “Boca” is far different from “Scream,” but it simply shows Dreamcatcher’s true talent of being able to conquer more than just what they have previously been pigeonholed into.
While the track is a bit surprising to begin with, the signature horror concept is alive and well from the very beginning in the music video. The setting is mostly an urban, neon city landscape, the bright lighting contrasting the darker, punk-influenced outfits. The faceless masks once again come into play this comeback, carrying over from “Scream.” Although that signature horror concept is present, there is also a major contrast that has the girls in brightly colored dresses in light nature settings. The choreography is quite eye-catching, which would be expected after the stellar choreography in the last release. There is one particular group move during the chorus that leaves you breathless, and it’s impossible to forget SuA’s moment in the spotlight as she’s held up on a makeshift throne while hitting her high note. The composition overall is beautiful, and I expected nothing less from Dreamcatcher.
The Album
As with any other Dreamcatcher album, we kick off with a dark and intense intro that kicks up the tempo building up into the title. It begins slow and ominous, but builds up into a strong synth melody that picks up the tempo towards the end. “Break The Wall” is the first B-side after the title, and definitely has a classic metal feel with the muffled opening verse, prominent drums, and electric guitar. The tempo is slow yet addicting and manages to be particularly powerful despite that.
“Can’t get you out of my mind” introduces a new sound—a more traditional EDM beat with a dreamy feel, something you would likely hear on the American Top 40 chart. It’s not something you would consider to be classically Dreamcatcher, but the vocalists are definitely powerful and make it another genre they are capable of performing. Fans of the group’s harder tracks won’t be keen on this song necessarily, but it is by no means a bad track. It’s worth noting as well that this song is an all-English track.
The album then concludes (not counting the instrumental title at the very end) with “Dear,” a soft ballad with a very simple melody to allow the vocalists some time in the spotlight. This is the kind of B-side Dreamcatcher has produced on their early singles, perhaps to showcase their diverse talents and ability to do soft as well as hard. It’s definitely a heavy and sentimental track.
All in all, Dreamcatcher has once again hit it out of the park with this comeback. It was difficult to think that they could top “Scream” and their first full album, but Dystopia: Lose Myself has at least kept on par with it. “Boca” was definitely the highlight and totally blew me away. It’s hard to believe that the girls have yet to achieve their first music show win to this day, especially given how much talent shines not just in their title tracks, but in every track on their albums. There’s no doubt that the girls are talented, and that they’re doing what no other girl group is doing in the industry right now. Hopefully, everyone else will soon come to realize it.