UAU of Dreamcatcher Starts a Fresh New Era

Photo: Dreamcatcher Company

In March of this year, fans got some concerning news on the future of Dreamcatcher. While the group didn’t disband per se, Handong, Dami and Gahyun left Dreamcatcher Company while it was announced that JiU, SuA, Siyeon and Yoohyeon would focus on other activities. Anyone that has been in the K-Pop game beyond the fourth generation knows how this story often goes, and it’s almost never good. Dreamcatcher successfully cornered a niche in the K-Pop realm with their darker, metal influenced concepts, and certainly had a beloved cult following that we’d consider a successful career, especially considering so many groups never successfully pivot their careers into familiar names and concepts. It didn’t take long for the debut of the first subunit for Dreamcatcher to be announced after this news, much to the delight of fans. UAU, consisting of JiU, SuA and Yoohyun, kicks off a new sound and era for the familiar girls of Dreamcatcher. 

And a new sound it is. Those that were hoping that the new unit would return to the heavier rock sound will find themselves disappointed with this debut. The trio comes in with title track “2 Months,” which goes in a totally different musical direction from their group releases. “2 Months” is more of a traditional pop track, and I can’t lie, upon first listen nothing about it stuck out as exceptional. It feels pretty manufactured and made for top 40 radio, which I feel like really downplays the girls’s talent. That said, the vocals are expectedly spectacular, which does elevate the song. The verses are where the talent shines, the chorus is underwhelming with spoken lines, the track is mostly in English, and it only clocks in at under three minutes, yet another infuriating pop trend groups are adhering to these days. I am sad how underwhelmed I am by this track, especially given how beyond vocally talented the trio is. It’s not that going more traditional pop or totally different from the group concept is a bad route, I just wish the song would have more character and be more memorable to fit their vocal talents.

The video is more of a highlight for this comeback, with a more fun and less serious kind of vibe that admittedly does fit with the theme of the song. The visuals remind me a lot of JISOO’s “earthquake,” in that over-the-top destruction is a major feature of the videography, which seems like a feature to add dramatic flair. The choreography is lighter and less intense, a match for the song and concept. The sort of satirical use of violence is quite fun for the concept, so no complaints there. There is also a very brief addition of the trio animated in the second pre-chorus seemingly out of nowhere, reminiscent of LISA’s “FUTW.” I am seeing a pattern here, perhaps I’ve pinpointed the marketing tactic of this comeback? 

But of course, all opinions are subjective. Check out the music video below and decide for yourself.

Edited by Bryn Claybourne