SF9 Solves the “Puzzle” in THE PIECE OF9
As the leader of the “SF9 is underrated squad,” I’m back to shout once again that this seasoned group has returned with another banger that is not getting the attention it deserves. Since their debut in 2016, SF9 has had a number of their title tracks gain a lot of attention, but for some reason it never seems to stick like it does for other groups of the same caliber. With members Inseong and Youngbin already out of the roster to fulfill their mandatory military service, the group is working with two big missing pieces in their lineup.
The Title
THE PIECE OF9 is the group’s twelfth release. In their time on the K-Pop scene, they have explored many different musical genres, but seem to have found a niche in EDM-influenced tracks accompanied by a more sophisticated concept. “Puzzle” is a prime example of this, with the concept giving off James Bond vibes along an addicting EDM-driven beat. With main vocalist Inseong out of play, there’s a lot more room for the other vocalists to shine in this song, but we even see the rappers venture into that territory. It was particularly surprising to hear Zuho with mostly vocal lines in this track. The rap is toned down significantly, with very few rap lines at all. In general, my favorite type of tracks have a smooth incorporation of vocals and rap, but even with a much heavier focus on vocals for this track, I find it very good. The chorus is beyond infectious, and I really enjoy hearing Dawon get more lines and hearing vocal parts from Chani and Hwiyoung.
Visually, as expected, “Puzzle” is gorgeous. SF9 is a group full of visuals, and their talent for the mature, sophisticated concepts never gets old. While they gained popularity and notoriety for featuring a more sexy look, there’s a refreshing shift in “Puzzle” that focuses more on a subtle sexy vibe, not unlike “Good Guy.” There’s something that hits different about the mature cool guy aesthetic for SF9. The video takes us through what appears to be a crime investigation and all the dangers that go along with that while intermixing dance shots–a classic K-Pop composition if we’ve ever seen one.
The Album
THE PIECE OF9 contains six new tracks, kicking off with the title “Puzzle.” There was a lot of member participation in the creation of this album, with Zuho even being penned as a composer on the title. Hwiyoung and Chani also have credits on a number of tracks, along with Zuho.
The first B-side “Love Colour” presents a totally different melody from the title, with a more chill R&B bossa nova influenced melody. This is the kind of track I’d expect on a summer album, but even in the dead of winter it is a nice groovy track. “New World” opens up sounding like the soundtrack of a new epic video game before totally shifting tone, which gives a bit of whiplash. The actual composition of the song has hip-hop influences that really highlight Zuho’s rap specifically, and while the song is definitely a vibe, the opening of it really threw me off initially. In a weird way, it fits with the melody in the chorus, but it just presented this almost medieval feel to the song that totally disappears.
“Fighter” has strong banger potential, but that may just be the Hwiyoung bias in me taking hold in the first verse. The club banger type EDM sound takes hold strongly in the chorus, but the song blends a lot of different melodies throughout the three minute composition, so it’s never boring. “Tight” keeps with the EDM theme quite strongly, to the point that it almost feels like an extension of “Fighter.” That said, it doesn’t hit quite as hard as the predecessor in my opinion. Rounding out the album is “Stay with me,” an unexpected ballad given all the tracks before it were such hard-hitters. I’m not a big fan of ballads for the most part, so I tend to be less impressed with them. One good thing is that it showcases a different side to the group, and without the main vocal, I’m surprised they were able to hold up vocally in such a vocal-focused genre.
Overall, SF9’s discography is still definitely going strong and is still criminally underrated. Many of their title tracks have made it to my all-time favorite K-Pop songs list, and it’s sad that they don’t get as much play even when they continue to pump out bangers. The fact that they are able to still produce high quality music despite missing critical components to their lineup showcases how strong they are as a group. Don’t sleep on SF9, seriously.