TREASURE - “JIKJIN”
After one full year, TREASURE is finally back with THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE. This comeback has been highly anticipated—as seen in their previous releases, these guys simply don't miss. With their strong track record, the pressure was on to bring something they haven’t done before, but might maintain their particular streak.
With expectations set high, new title track “JIKJIN” had about a 50/50 chance of blowing minds or numbing them. But TREASURE manages to find a sweet spot where, upon first listen, you may not quite be sure what to make of it. It has an electronic production that's become something of a staple in their discography, which is peppered with EDM influences. The first verse starts out strong on a synthy bass guitar effect. This meets the pre-chorus with a nice buildup that rides the wave of Bang Yedam and Junkyu’s vocal power. The chorus slams the brakes with a choppy anti-drop that sets a decent tone early on, but even the song's chanty climax doesn't quite feel like the explosion we're reaching for.
The music video fits the song well, with visuals that catch the odd car-related pun in the lyrics. Following suit with the popular concept of driving fast cars—boy groups and cars in the year 2021 set the stage here—this all makes for a comeback that feels more like their hat tossed into the proverbial ring than a triumphant return that reflects their growth as artists. Just as well, with respect to how there are 12 members, screen time is split pretty poorly with half of them getting the bulk of even the static visual clips and the rest we're lucky to even get a glimpse (especially Jaehyuk; this is like three minutes of Where's Waldo for that guy).
With that being said, we know good and well how skilled they are. With a lineup of vocalists and rappers that all stand out, this seems like a missed opportunity more than anything. The song isn’t bad, but there's so much to work with here that there’s definitely room for something great down the road. It’s only a matter of time before they’re given the chance to tap into what they’re really made of.