Song Review: ATEEZ – Birthday

ATEEZ have kept a relatively consistent style between their Korean and Japanese work, even when collaborating with J-pop act BE:FIRST for a couple of songs. New single Birthday doesn’t upend this pattern, keeping their core production team and riffing off elements similar to their past few albums.

The problem, of course, is that I didn’t particularly care for their last few albums. Birthday will likely appeal to anyone who enjoyed songs like Work and Hush Hush, as it keeps a similarly sparse hip-hop sound. We get a Jongho power note here and there, but this is much more of a rap showcase than the theatrical, larger-than-life K-pop of the group’s past. And as a rap showcase, the song does little to distinguish itself. ATEEZ’s charisma is on display as usual, but memorable highlights are few and far between during Birthday‘s predictable verses.

Occasionally, the track plays around with tempo and energy shifts, causing its second verse to feel off-balance. This disorientation is intentional and works for that purpose, but the transitions could be much more engaging. Too much of Birthday feels phoned-in — an afterthought of a b-side repurposed for single promotion. Regardless of your response to this specific sound, it’s clear the group have far more successful iterations of it within their discography.

Grade: C-