[Review] STRESS – CHUNG HA

CHUNG HA is back telling us not to stress in her latest single, STRESS. I should have tuned into the release during the week and listened to CHUNG HA. After all, stress is not good for one’s health. STRESS is the lead single from CHUNG HA’s 5th mini-album, Alivio, which dropped this week. It is her first release since last year’s special single, Algorithm.

STRESS (the song, not the response) feels right for CHUNG HA. The funky elements and house beats are not new for CHUNG HA or KPOP. But it is definitely her familiar territory. I like the ’90s vibe of the song, particularly when STRESS‘ bridge resembles a Vogue-esque feel. The dynamic energy that drives STRESS forward is also a highlight. CHUNG HA sounds really good in the song, as well. However, I wished the material was a little more engaging. When I listen to STRESS, I can feel the potential for the hooks and melodies to be engaging and unique. But what we got weren’t. While STRESS‘ hooks were admittedly somewhat catchy, they were also very plain and lackluster. The exact same thing can said about the melodies. That is the biggest deterrent for me really enjoying the song, but STRESS’ instrumental is its savior for me.

The music video for STRESS is stunning. From CHUNG HA’s visuals, her outfits, the elegant gallery-like location, everything looked top notch! I think that gallery location was also featured in TXT’s Over The Moon‘s video. I like how the other scenes not in that gallery location also adopted a similar vibe and looked artistic. The message of ‘don’t stress’ was shown well in the music video. Some of the people doing yoga (or struggling to) were the stressed individuals, who we later see adopt CHUNG HA’s mantra of getting up and dancing it out.

I like the mixture of voguing and playfulness in the choreography. The former fits in well with the 90s vibe that STRESS has going on. The latter definitely infuses more of CHUNG HA’s style. This combination makes for a fun and flirty routine, enhancing the song’s message and giving it an alluring persona.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10