[Review] Fly Up – RIIZE

After their pre-release Bag Bad Back two weeks ago, RIIZE is officially back with their first studio album, Odyssey. Leading the new album is the title track Fly Up. It is their first Korean release since their Combo comeback in September last year.

From the very first second, Fly Up attracts my attention through its upbeat and fast energy. It felt almost like the music you would expect to hear when accompanying a jive dance, just slightly more paced than your usual jive music. I loved how expressive RIIZE were with their vocals and rapping, which contributed to the liveliness of Fly Up. It also helps that the hooks were catchy and earwormy. The all-in-one ‘Fly Up‘ rings in my mind even after the song ends. SHOTARO’s rapping in the second verse was solid, while SOHEE’s high note was a perfect peak for the song. The only missing element I wished for was a deep tone to ground the song slightly, particularly in the chorus. The beats weren’t enough, and I think this would have created some nice contrast in the broader song. But aside from that, Fly Up is still a superbly fun song that has me tapping my foot along from the first listen.

Just like the song, the music video for Fly Up is super fun. I liked the musical-like concept with all the dancers dancing around the members as they sing along to the song, almost like High School Musical (just without the cheesiness and bad acting). It just heightens the energy and makes the video extremely enjoyable. I was extremely nervous watching the sweaters tied around the members’ waists, but somehow (perhaps sewn on for safety precautions), they stayed on the members. Memories from primary/elementary school have come rushing back, with the number of times sweaters or jumpers would loosen as I just walked.

It should come as no surprise that I also liked this comeback’s choreography. It was everything the song asked for – upbeat, packed, fast and vibrant. I loved how the members never let up throughout the routine (based on what I saw in the music video), which reminds me of that intensity and continuous nature of the jive dance. The jumps and footwork look promising, and the body waves at the start of the final chorus catch my attention because they are incredibly smooth in the fast-paced routine.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10