2 weeks ago
12
ROSÉ officially released her solo album, Rosie, alongside the single toxic till the end last week. It follows the very successful APT. collaboration with Bruno Mars and the single number one girl last month, both featured on the new album. It is also ROSÉ’s first album release since her solo debut with R (led by the single On The Ground) almost four years ago.
I quite enjoyed toxic till the end when it was first released. It has good melodies that make the song easy to listen to, some catchy moments (such as the ‘end, end, end‘ line at the end of the choruses) and a punchy pop instrumental that hits all the right spots. These three are a start to a good song. Throw in ROSÉ’s distinct vocals, who does a decent job of showcasing her emotions in toxic till the end, and you have an undeniably fantastic song. Sure, toxic till the end feels very familiar and very Taylor Swift-esque. But I don’t think there is anything wrong with this direction, as it speaks to the masses and feels very appropriate for 2024. Plus, ROSÉ does a good job with the material overall. But there is one thing holding toxic till the end back – the vocal processing. This was felt most during the bridge, where it is very clear that ROSÉ steps up her vocals but is limited in how far her vocals go. I feel like this is a part where she could have given us a lot of emotion and impact. But the vocal processing gets in the way of that. But apart from that, toxic till the end is still a good song to me.
The music video stars ROSÉ and actor Evan Mock, who become a toxic couple. The video begins with Evan Mock’s character hitchhiking. ROSÉ pulls up and offers him a lift, creating the beginnings of a relationship between the two. And the pair appear to be quite in love (kissing at one point), playful with one another, and ROSÉ also shows she cares for Evan’s character following a tumble on a skateboard (which breaks his arm). Partway through the video, Evan Mock’s character gets a text message, which he attempts to hide. But this ends up being ROSÉ’s tipping point, and she tries to leave. Throughout their fight (in which Evan’s character hits his head), there is a montage of flashbacks exposing Evan’s character’s toxicity, where he keeps her from leaving by rigging her car and injuring himself to make her feel bad. And it all continues as we see ROSÉ lying in bed with him after their fight. It is a well-executed video with a thorough storyline, and I really liked the Autumn/Fall elements around the mansion.
Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10
English (US) · 