Song Review: One Pact – Deserved

Despite displaying plenty of potential, One Pact have not enjoyed a rosy track record on this blog. Their songs have rated between 6.75 and 7.25 so far, with this June’s FXX Off the most disappointing of the bunch. However, there’s always room for musical redemption and new single Deserved transforms their sound with a lighter sonic palette.

Deserved‘s verses echo the subdued energy popular in K-pop these days, offering a skittering bed of percussion and atmospheric synths. The vocal performance is airy and nice, but the melodies lack the oomph to make the song stick. Deserved becomes more interesting as we enter its chorus, upping the intensity with daring production and a fun, funky synth line. It’s an intriguing mix, yet Deserved‘s issue with melody persists. Most of the song passes by without landing any punches. The hook ingratiates itself with multiple listens, yet doesn’t differ enough from the verses to act as a satisfying centerpiece. This is definitely a step in the right direction (and One Pact’s strongest single yet), but their music still isn’t doing much for me.

Grade: C