Song Review: Solar (Mamamoo) – Floating Free (with 9m88)

Last month, China partially lifted its nine-year ban on Korean content, including K-pop concerts and releases. This news didn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should have, especially considering the massive effect it may have on the industry. Given this year’s global affairs, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if K-pop agencies pulled resources from their American expansion and redoubled efforts in the Chinese market. Time will tell if this comes to pass, and Solar’s Chinese-language debut Floating Free was likely in the pipeline far before this ban was lifted.

Chinese-language debuts like this used to be far more common in K-pop, but after nine years it’s almost a novelty to hear them again. For Floating Free, Solar pairs with Taiwanese singer 9m88 over a track that sounds very much like her Korean fare. The song has a pleasant mid-tempo bounce, upbeat enough to jump around to but chill enough to function as background music for any number of activities. To me, songs like this feel stuck in the middle, never quite committing to a sound. Floating Free won’t offend or excite many. Without any instrumental or melodic sucker punch it simply coasts along in a way that’s unlikely to stick in memory.

Those eager for a Mamamoo reunion may enjoy hearing Solar trade vocals with another female singer, and 9m88 makes a nice duet partner. The two voices blend well with enough variation to keep things interesting. Beyond this, Floating Free makes for solid connective tissue on a playlist but would easily get lost among bigger highlights.

Grade: C