Song Review: ILLIT – Tick-Tack

I had a dream last night that I went back to listen to ILLIT’s Cherish (My Love) and there was this whole new layer of production on its instrumental I’d never noticed before — including a prominent violin solo. During the dream, I wondered why I hadn’t loved the song on first listen. Upon waking up, I wondered why the hell I was dreaming about ILLIT’s Cherish (My Love)! But it turned out to be fortuitous, as the group has unveiled the music video for follow-up track Tick-Tack today.

Recently, I’ve used the term “beige pop” for K-pop’s current trend of subdued, easy-listening mush. ILLIT’s latest record crystallizes this idea, stuffed with two-minute songs that largely repeat one idea rather than grow into something more robust. Along with Cherish, Tick-Tack is the shortest track in their repertoire, but it’s got a bit more bite to it. However, it’s still “one idea repeated,” with its rhythmic chorus immediately forging a repetitive calling card. The verses act in a supporting role, doing nothing beyond filling the necessary space between the blippy “tick-tack, ti-tack, tick, tack-ta-tick, tack” centerpiece. There’s technically a (very brief) bridge included in the structure, but Tick-Tack has come and gone before you know it.

Because of this, the song feels more like an advertisement than a proper single. I appreciate the retro chiptunes production that underlines the chorus, but the song could do with a secondary melody to counter the repetitiveness at its core. Without anything beyond its hook to grab hold of, Tick-Tack is a quirky diversion that’s fun the first few times but quickly grows stale.

Grade: C