BOYNEXTDOOR Bring The “Earth, Wind & Fire” to their Second EP, HOW?
After enquiring WHO! and WHY.. in their previous single and EP releases, K-Pop sextet BOYNEXTDOOR is now back to ask HOW? in their seven-track second EP. Released on April 15, HOW? consists of the tracks “OUR,” “Amnesia,” “So let’s go see the stars,” “Earth, Wind & Fire,” “l i f e i s c o o l,” “Dear. My Darling,” and “Earth, Wind & Fire (English Ver.)” with “Earth, Wind & Fire” serving as the EP’s title track.
HOW? offers a new and fresh feel to BOYNEXTDOOR’s discography while simultaneously serving sounds that feel distinctive and true to them. The title track “Earth, Wind & Fire” is one of the songs that feels authentically BOYNEXTDOOR, with writing credits from members Jaehyun, Taesan, and Woonhak, alongside their KOZ Entertainment label founder and fellow K-music artist ZICO (amongst others.)
“Earth, Wind & Fire” projects a hyper melody with an addictive chorus, memorable, repeated lyrics, impressive vocals, and high-energetic, sped-up sections that add to the song’s unique charm. The song evokes feelings of chaos, but in the best way possible! The music video for “Earth, Wind & Fire” is just as brilliantly chaotic as the song, showing the members in different, fun and colorful, cartoon-like scenarios and locations, each interacting with a different element of the world.
Along with “Earth, Wind & Fire,” opening track “OUR” and second track “Amnesia” also display the classic BOYNEXTDOOR charm through their musical components, whereas “So lets go see the stars,” “l i f e i s c o o l,” and “Dear. My Darling” each reveal a different musical side to the group. These three tracks exude BOYNEXTDOOR newness with entrancing, laidback tunes and different comforting qualities. “So let’s go see the stars” carries a pop-rock style with retro influences that I can imagine becoming a fan favorite, “l i f e i s c o o l” has a slight reggae/Hawaiian-pop vibe to it that sounds reminiscent to Bruno Mars's “The Lazy Song” (particularly in the chorus), while “Dear. My Darling” delivers a sweet ballad style complete with 1950’s influences that can be heard in the melody and BOYNEXTDOOR’s vocal style.
It’s hard to believe that BOYNEXTDOOR made their debut just under one year ago, with the group's songs immediately sparking joy and excitement in the music world. Now, through the songs of HOW?, BOYNEXTDOOR have showcased their growing talents, providing a fresh look into their music style that gets better and better with each new release. We can’t wait to hear what BOYNEXTDOOR have in store for the future but for now, “Earth, Wind & Fire” and How?, overall, will definitely be playing on repeat.