Close Your Eyes Knocks it Out with Their Third EP BLACKOUT
Photo: Weverse / Close Your Eyes
It was this time a year ago when followers of survival show PROJECT 7 were eagerly cheering for their faves. Flash forward, the group that arose, CLOSE YOUR EYES, is already on their third EP. The seven-member project group under UNCORE consisting of members Jeon Minwook, Ma Jingxiang, Jang Yeojun, Kim Sungmin, Song Seungho, Sakurada Kenshin, and Seo Kyoungbae debuted earlier this year in April and have already shown off their boyish charm and vocal skills through their previous EPs. Switching up from their “All My Poetry” sound, this time the boys are throwing a shock to the system by going literally darker with BLACKOUT. The tracks range from the pumping club vibes of “SOB” to the smoother beats of “X,” both edgier than the group has ever sounded before. They may be still too fresh to have a definitive style, but what can be assured is they’re the rookies to keep watching. Their MAMA “Best New Artist” nod is clearly a testament to that.
BLACKOUT TRACKLIST:
“SOB” (with Imanbek)
“CHIC”
“ 2.0”
“Who's Dat? (Jane Doe)”
“X” (English Ver.)
The title track of the EP is “X,” a smooth R&B dance track that only gets better with every listen. The layers of sounds and voices create a rhythmic pull with the repetitive underlying notes that builds with the vocals. The lyrics, which leader Minwook helped pen, focus on pushing to the limits, which is done in a confident, yet chill, manner. The song doesn’t rush, nor does it overly switch it up, and the music and lyrics are allowed to breathe which has become rather rare. The video itself lets their dance skills shine, not to mention their visuals. The EP closes with an English version of the song as well.
Though released about two weeks ago, “SOB,” the track with DJ and producer Imanbek, was a shock to the system. Shedding their youthful image, “SOB” shows them sleek and edgy with a song that is made for clubs and dancing. The video is dark and sexy with Ma Jingxiang dancing shirtless underneath his jacket in the foreground and all the members themselves pulling off the edgy vibes. As for the song itself, it’s the chorus that makes the song. Its catchy rhythmic edge is an earworm that you just want to move to. Apart from the chorus, the rest of the song switches it up a bit too much and the lyrics are clearly not the song’s focus, but that doesn’t matter as you’ll still be singing, “You don’t want to be like me, SOB.”
Whatever is lacking lyrically in “SOB” is made up with the rest of the tracks. “CHIC” is another dance track that starts with steady rhythmic rap lines that calls for heels and a catwalk. The synth sounds and the steady beats make this song almost as catchy as “SOB.” The synth-infused hip-hop continues with “2.0,” and slows down for a steady R&B beat for “Who’s Dat? (Jane Doe).” The EP has no skips and each track, though definitely varied, is more or less united (apart from “SOB”) by its ability to run at its own steady pace. A strong third EP all the way through from a group that continues to set their bar high.
Edited by Bryn Claybourne