THE BLACK LABEL Debuts Their First Girl Group MEOVV

A lot of talk has been going around about the first girl group debuting under THE BLACK LABEL. Many expected certain faces based on rather well-known trainees, and there was a lot of buzz over the talent they could bring to this new group. But much like any YG or YG adjacent group, they’re often placed into a previously used mold for their debut.

I could tell almost immediately this was a TEDDY production, and I don’t say that in a positive way. There’s a formula to these productions, and if you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times over. The song kicks off with the repetition of the word “yuh,” which is incredibly jarring and almost grinding on the eardrums. The addition of the hip-hop beat doesn’t do much to soften the melody, and if the vocal prowess of the members didn’t kick in and elevate the song, I would have said it’s a total loss. The one good point of this track is just how clearly talented they are as singers, and it is a shame that the predictable TEDDY production doesn’t give them more of a chance to shine. The pre-chorus portion of the track is definitely the best part of the song and shows some hope for the future, given how empty the lyrics are and how predictable the beat is. The song is empty, lacking character, and doesn’t give   the members a chance to shine as themselves.

In terms of the music video, my favorite portion was the absurd scene where the girls are confronted with a group of bigfoots that they start dancing with. It was a piece of humor added that I felt gave the overall theme some amusement. Other than that, there is something a bit off in the bad girl theme given to such young girls, their makeup and styling attempting to make them appear older and more mature which gives me the ick, admittedly. A street style to match the hip-hop track does make sense, and that being said, the styling is chic and their choreography is eye-catching, so that’s a plus.

Check out the music video for “MEOW” below to form your own opinion on the debut.