Song Review: LOVEONE – Drama Queen

Girl group LOVEONE debuted late last year but I haven’t yet written about them on this blog. In fact, dig just under the surface and there are many under-the-radar acts that have never received a write-up. Most of these have great intentions but are hamstrung by a limited budget and agencies that are too risk-averse to try the radical sounds needed to make a “nugu” group stand out.

Drama Queen is not radical, but I wanted to feature it because its sound is close to a certain style of girl group K-pop I miss. A retro instrumental (Girls Aloud Love Machine, anyone?) bounds with energy, framing a series of sweet melodies that allow the girls to sing with panache. Even the talkier moments of the track have a melodic bounce that feels especially welcome this year. Unfortunately, the end product is only a fraction as satisfying as the songs it imitates, but I hear a lot of potential and hope that LOVEONE can hang onto this style for future comebacks.

Grade: B-