WayV Kicks Back From Reality In Their Latest Comeback
After nine months of waiting since WayV’s last comeback in June 2020, the Chinese sub-unit of NCT is back with a very diverse and more mature tracklist. Their third mini-album Kick Back comes in two versions, which already showed a cohesive diversity in the stunning teaser images. The “Stranger” version photos give off some hazy vintage yet luxurious moments, while in the “Hitchhiker” photos, the members jumped into a different dreamy world under mysterious lights.
Tracklist:
Title: 秘境 Kick Back*
Action Figure*
天空海 Horizon
梦尽 All For Love
Good Time*
Kick Back (Korean Ver.)
*Author’s Favorite Pick
“秘境 Kick Back”
The title track, bearing the album’s name, is very recognizable as a WayV song with a powerful melody, catchy hooks, and strong rap lines. “秘境 Kick Back” is about waiting for the future to unfold, kicking back a little before the next step, and appreciating freedom more than the image we have in mind for our own future.
The bridge showcases the well-known strength of WayV’s vocals, giving us a dynamic pre-chorus before the first chorus drops. Despite its repetitiveness, it is strong and catchy and is followed by vocals and a melody that opens up the song again before we reach the powerful final chorus.
The mature lyrics are somewhat balanced out with a playful music video where we see the members, Kun, Ten, WinWin, Lucas, XiaoJun, Hendery, and YangYang, in some cinematic and colorful scenes that give off the vibe of a secret space of dreams and imagination which they are ready to exchange for freedom according to the lines. The music video does not really give us a storyline, it rather focuses on a visual experience and the choreo itself. Full of exciting transitions and nice coloring, the video is just as stunning as the teaser images. The extravagant styling of the members is also very colorful, dreamy, and memorable. Playing with layering, prints, and colors, their outfits also feel like we are in a field of imagination. The choreo is not as powerful as one would expect, but it is certainly energetic and recognizable, easy to follow, and by the end of the video, you will find yourself copying the moves.
The Album
The album features four more individual tracks and a Korean version of the title “秘境 Kick Back,” giving us a total of six songs that mix WayV’s signature groovy vibes with different genres from C-Pop, R&B, and hip-hop to ballads. While the title song obviously comes with choreography, two more tracks, “Action Figure” and “梦尽 All For Love,” also have their own moves.
“Action Figure” comes with a familiar R&B beat and is meant to give the listeners a hint of hope in a tough reality. WayV haven’t released a ballad song before, so “天空海 Horizon'' brings a new feel to the group. Part of the lyrics are, “Little by little the distance will narrow, I won't hesitate, with firm footsteps I believe once I cross this obstruction you'll be there (you'll be there),” which are dedicated to WayZenNi according to the group’s main vocalist Xiaojun, who talked about the song during their online showcase prior to the release. Later, Hendery mentioned that “梦尽 All For Love'' is about leaving the past behind and moving on. It is a catchy song with trap and R&B beats that perfectly fit any sentimental night with its smooth sound. “Good Time” brings back WayV’s signature groovy style with laid back R&B beats, making it an easy summer bop, so we might hear more about it as the warmer months are coming up.
The group will actively promote their third mini-album with five members due to Winwin and Lucas’ schedules in China.