BLITZERS Debut Embodies the Name

In anticipation of the oncoming blitz of music and dance moves they intend to blast fans with, BLITZERS hit the ground running with debut EP CHECK-IN. As the first boy group from WUZO Entertainment, as well as the latest rookie group to enter the game in 2021, BLITZERS is coming in hot with rap-rock title track "Breathe Again."

“Breathe Again”

The music video feels like watching an action movie with decidedly military aesthetics, with old-school GPS devices, ham radios, gas masks, and even an ammo box they pull microphones from. The concept is driven home by the recurring visual of music blasting so loud that the windows shatter from BLITZERS’s bomb-like impact, and rightfully so. With impressive choreo—watch out for that flip they pull out of their hat like it's nothing—and dramatic acting, "Breathe Again" sends the message that they did not come to play.

The song begins with a powerful vocal intro by vocalists Wooju, Juhan, and Go_U, amped with surging rock guitars that draw influence from '90s instrumental hip-hop. What's truly compelling is the ease that the production allows for switching from vocal to rap and back again with no upset, featuring rappers Chris, Jinhwa, and Sya (shoutout to dancer Lutan who has but one line in this song). The chorus does get a little repetitive, though this repetition comes in the form of vocal chants that rev the listener up nonetheless.

Halfway through, the video changes settings to a desert construction site similar to that seen in ATEEZ's "불놀이야 (I’m The One)." This change in setting also sees the boys in less black-and-red uniform and more individual costuming, including Chris, Go_U, and Lutan in colorful button-downs, Jinhwa in a zebra-print jacket, and Wooju in a striped sweater blasting a flamethrower. The video ends with the resounding vocal chants and blasts of fire from all directions behind the group, wrapping things up on a note just as high as it began with.

CHECK-IN

CHECK-IN comes with five B-sides, including the instrumental intro track of the same name, and starts off strong with "Blitz - Next Level Remix," their fun pre-debut track but a little juiced-up—not exactly the same, but not so different that the original is lost.

The rest of the album tapers out from the high-octane intro. "Ocean Blue" and "Dream Pilot" are a stark difference from what we've heard from BLITZERS so far as sweeter vocal tracks, though not quite as sweet as the final track on the album, pre-debut song "Drawing Paper." As the only ballad on the album, "Drawing Paper" recalls the nostalgia of the journey to becoming a debuted group, and all the memories the members made together.

With listeners’ attention secured, BLITZERS’s debut does not disappoint. In this one EP, they’ve delivered several different sides to them, a mere taste of what they’re capable of. As this is only the beginning, The Kraze looks forward to seeing what they’ll do next.