[Review] Run Away – TZUYU (TWICE)

Today, TZUYU made her solo debut with the new single, Run Away, and the mini-album Aboutzu. She is the third TWICE member to make her solo debut, following fellow TWICE members NAYEON (who recently returned with ABCD) and JIHYO (who debuted as a solo artist last year with Killin’ Me Good).

Run Away starts with TZUYU’s vocals and a simple piano riff. This opening sequence was rather intriguing, as there was a subtle emotional touch that grabbed my attention and had me waiting for more. The song then brings in a pounding beat, evolving into a disco-esque pop number once the chorus is reached. This trajectory was very entertaining, which made Run Away‘s instrumental a strong aspect of the new song. It is relatively simple for its style, yet also punchy and addictive. Strangely enough, I enjoyed the clean hollow drum beats at the 0:44 and 1:58 marks of the song. Very specific, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Unfortunately, nothing else stood out in the song. While I liked the opening sequence in terms of TZUYU’s vocals, they stayed in the same gear for the most part. This ultimately made Run Away feel flat and remarkably lacking in the character department. That emotional touch I mentioned is still present throughout the song, but there wasn’t any differentiation or variety in her vocals, effectively reducing that to nought. We did get a slight change in vocals during the pre-choruses, but this needed to be expanded to other parts of Run Away to make it more interesting. And because of the flatness, the melodies and hooks just didn’t stick out. I also hoped for a bridge and flair from a potential final third chorus. But those didn’t eventuate, as well. If it weren’t for the opening sequence and instrumental, I wouldn’t revisit Run Away as much.

In the song’s lyrics, TZUYU gives the person she is interested in a chance to ‘run away’ before entering a relationship with her. She sings about how once they are infatuated with her, she will show a different side of herself that only they will see. Whether this is a K-drama plot about a cold person opening up and falling in love, or the start of a creepy movie, we will never know. In the video, we see TZUYU show two sides of herself. The first is a more loving side of herself, while the second is a colder and more sinister version of herself. Depending on how you interpret the video – these can be two potential sides of TZUYU that the person could come across, or the video is recounting the events of TZUYU alluring the guy in the video into loving her before she reveals her proper darker side. Either way, it is an exciting premise that leaves an open ending. As for the choreography scenes, I liked the contrast in how they showed more elegant sides of TZUYU in the gown and on the red carpet. This probably adds some extra depth and backstory to TZUYU’s character – you never know which version is on our screen.

I often comment on facial expressions regarding this aspect of the review. They can make or break the performance. For today’s Music Bank performance, I felt TZUYU’s facial expressions were stiff and robotic, which affected the actual vibe of the performance. I hope it is nerves and that she becomes more comfortable performing the choreography, as the routine has a cool, sensual vibe that looks good. It just needs swift flow from the leading performer.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10