Song Review: Fifty Fifty – When You Say My Name

This time of year usually means sleighbell driven cheer or comfy ballads. A series of winter tracks have already been released and girl group Fifty Fifty have chosen the latter approach for their delicate When You Say My Name. You all know I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, but some of my favorite seasonal K-pop tracks have had slower tempos.

If you take away the snowy music video and a reference to Christmas trees and carols, When You Say My Name could have been a charming ballad on any girl group album. Its stark arrangement makes for a nice vocal showcase, keeping unnecessary production at a minimum. The song’s structure doesn’t allow for many fireworks, remaining hushed until its final moments. The performance here is strong, marrying power to soft backing harmonies. Overall, this is a nice gift under the tree, even though it feels more perfunctory than remarkable.

Grade: C