Song Review: Fifty Fifty – Midnight Special

It’s become common for idol acts to release special music videos after promotions end for their title track. This allows the albums a longer cycle and spotlights various sounds that may appeal to a wider audience. Fifty Fifty’s perky Pookie saw them aiming straight for the pop jugular, but follow-up Midnight Special offers a moodier sound.

“Moody” is not in short supply these days, as girl groups and boy groups alike seem to love “a vibe” more than anything else. With this in mind, Midnight Special unfolds mostly as you’d expect. When the beat isn’t shuffling softly, it pauses entirely for moments of vocal spotlight. Gentle rhythm guitar anchors the chorus, giving a slight, subdued disco touch. The girls’ vocals sound ethereal and striking and I love when the production leans into its lush layering. But no matter how many K-pop songs of this style make their way into the market, they’ll always face an uphill battle with me. Midnight Special needs either a knockout series of melodies or some idiosyncratic production flourish to stand out. The song has neither, so it earns the dubious (and probably overused) descriptor “pleasant.” Sadly, I just don’t have much room for “pleasant” on my playlist.

Grade: C