Buried Treasure: TWS – Palm Tree

A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. After my first listen to Palm Tree, I was left with a few questions. First, why are TWS shouting “P-p-p-palm tree!” at me? Second, is “palm tree” some sort of dirty euphemism? Because that’s pretty out of character for this group. Several listens later — against all my expectations — I can’t get enough of the song. Yeah, I’m sure some of this is down to bias, but the combination of TWS’s specific x factor and their colorful collection of vocal tones sells even the kind of song that would have me cringing in the hands of other groups. Rather than coming across as posturing or trying too hard to be clever/catchy, TWS’s natural goofiness turns a song like this into silly, shout-along fun. I’m obsessed with the loungey vocal sample that opens and carries through much of Palm Tree. The house beat that follows has a drowsy, off-kilter appeal echoed by the strange series of hooks that form the track’s chorus...