Song Review: &TEAM – Lunatic

Even as a fan who’s watched &TEAM gradually rise to “million sellers” in Japan, I was shocked by how well their Korean debut sold. It’s a solid album, and title track Back To Life has grown on me more with each day. The guys are wasting no time keeping the hype train going with a quick follow-up in the form of the funky Lunatic.

&TEAM almost always records funky dance b-sides to support their moodier title tracks, but for whatever reason they’re rarely promoted with music videos. Compared to a sugary pop rush like the brilliant Big Suki, Lunatic is a bit grittier. It’s supported by K-pop’s interpolation of a Neptunes beat circa 2002, which is a trend that’s quickly exhausting itself. However, this is a particularly sticky iteration of the sound, utilizing rhythm guitar for added texture. It’s hard not to nod along to the groove and this production gives the guys plenty to work with.

Much of Lunatic is catchy sing-talk, which would usually bother me. Luckily, this approach is peppered by a few great moments of melody and the overall vibe is enjoyable enough to compensate for the lack of developed songwriting. In other words, it gets by on its star power and magnetic appeal.

Grade: B