Song Review: Lee Changsub (BTOB) – Vroom Vroom

Thus far, BTOB members have experimented here and there with their solo work but never strayed too far from the balladry that’s made them so popular. On past efforts, Lee Changsub has embraced nostalgia, offering his takes on older genres and even newer iterations of older genres. New single Vroom Vroom (부릉부릉) is not a cover of the 2016 Charli XCX hit (can you imagine?!) but it does see him completely shifting his sound toward the dance club.

On its face, this should be a thrilling development. I’m always looking for bounding dance beats in K-pop, especially given our current climate of subdued moodiness. However, I have a pet peeve surrounding songs like Vroom Vroom. With this particularly style, it feels like dance music becomes the butt of a joke — as if the artists can’t stomach the genre unless it’s packaged within silly novelty. As someone who legitimately loves dance music, this approach always rubs me the wrong way and feels a bit cringe. Trying to be funny is rarely funny, and Vroom Vroom would have been much more successful without all the PSY-like mugging. As it stands, Changsub comes off like your drunk uncle trying to steal attention at a party. In other words, it’s a bit obnoxious.

Grade: C