Weeekly Drives into a New Colorful World in Anticipated Comeback
Moving from graduation to gradation, Weeekly finally came back with a new EP. In the 20-month gap since Play Game : AWAKE, Weeekly shifted gears to a new concept. Their fifth EP ColoRise contains six tracks: the title track “VROOM VROOM,” B-sides “ODYSSEY,” “Backwards,” and “RUBY-DUBY-DU,” and unit songs “Sweet Dream” and “A+.”
Track list:
“ODYSSEY”
“VROOM VROOM”
“Backwards”
“Sweet Dream”
“A+”
“RUBY-DUBY-DU”
“ODYSSEY”
“ODYSSEY” starts the EP with a high-energy track. It’s a very promising opening. The title “ODYSSEY,” meaning a long, often life-changing journey, conveys the significance of ColoRise. The EP is a turning point for the group. Many of the songs add something previously unheard of in Weeekly’s discography.
The Title Track: “VROOM VROOM”
Goodbye to the school days of Weeekly’s debut year, goodbye to the short-lived Play Game series, and hello to ColoRise. As indicated by their recent single “Good Day (SPECIAL DAILEE),” ColoRise sees Weeekly in a different direction. “VROOM VROOM” is the first new venture. The title track progresses more as a relaxing morning drive instead of the hard-hitting nature of many of its similarly-named peers in the K-Pop scene.
“VROOM VROOM” is a surprisingly calm track for one named after the rev of an engine. The lyrics encourage listeners to “keep on driving” towards a new path. The corresponding “VROOM VROOM” music video is visually appealing. Many of the scenes—on the beach, on the road, on a field of flowers— are gorgeous. It makes great use of location and sets. Together, the title track shows a refreshing return for Weeekly.
“Backwards”
“Backwards” is a groovy piece with smooth vocals. The way Weeekly sings in this one feels so surprisingly different in a good way. It truly feels like Weeekly is transitioning into an updated version of themselves. It’s moody, more mature, and funnily enough, seems to run in opposition to the title track. Where “VROOM VROOM” says to march on forward, “Backwards” urges people to revert to the way things were.
“Sweet Dream”
“Sweet Dream” is a standout song, featuring the sub-unit of Soojin, Monday, Soeun, and Zoa. It starts gently, then throws listeners for a loop when the post chorus drop comes in: it shifts in tone greatly. Its unpredictable nature places this song as the most unique on the EP. The second time the switch comes around, it swaps to a rap portion and still keeps something new. While not my favorite song on the EP, I appreciate its inclusion and the rollercoaster of confusion that it brings.
“A+”
After “Sweet Dream,” the EP goes from something completely foreign to something that feels like home. “A+” is classic Weeekly. This sub-unit song of Jaehee and Jihan sounds like it belongs on Weeekly’s second EP, We can. This concept fits well with both members, two who carry cute images. While ColoRise’s songs have shown something new, “A+” brings back memories of school girl concepts.
“RUBY-DUBY-DU”
“RUBY-DUBY-DU” brings the group back together to finish the EP. It’s fun, and not just because of its title. It’s nice to end ColoRise with a simple upbeat track. It doesn’t try to innovate, to shock, nor is it a complete return to their old sound. It’s a nice middle ground to cap off this new journey.