TITLE: VIVID
ARTIST: AB6IX
LABEL: BRAND NEW MUSIC
RELEASED: JUNE 29, 2020
To say I waited for this release with a weighted breath is an understatement. After their US and European tours being cancelled this year due to COVID-19, the news that this was coming out left me hype. Then…. Youngmin. Sigh. Ultimately because of the scandal, the release was pushed back almost a month because of reworking of the album and production. Anyway, I’m still excited to give a listen.
THE ANSWER- Title Track
This is a Zico produced track and I can tell from the first few seconds that it is. That’s not saying it is bad but it just sounds different from all the other songs AB6IX has done so far. I like its retro bounce beat and summery vibe. Woong and Daehwi shine with their vocals and Woojin stands out for his flow more than his snaggle tooth. What shocked me the most was when I watched the video and saw Youngmin. I was under the assumption that they were erasing every trace of him from this but it was bittersweet to see him still there.
RED UP
BEST 👏🏽 TRACK 👏🏽! I really don’t know how they didn’t make this the title track because everything about this song hits. But the star is that hip hop groove chorus. I could listen to this on repeat all day, err day.
VIVID
The album namesake doesn’t let down. It also is in that retro sound wheelhouse but still trendy enough so fans don’t feel displaced.
SURREAL
I didn’t think I would like this as much as I do. The first time I heard it, it felt skippable but on second and third listen, I beat is island without being an island pop song. The chorus’ trap flow feels typical of boy groups now but it doesn’t feel forced here. I thought the bridge was going to do something fun but it didn’t. That’s my only disappointment.
MIDNIGHT BLUE
This feels very Latin but again, not overly so where I would categorize it as being a fusion song. I am in love with Woong’s vocals so much on this song. A nice mellow song overall with a few hard hitting moments.
HOLD TIGHT
I don’t really care for this song. It doesn’t do much for me. It feels disjointed in the chorus and makes me feel disjointed in the process.
BONUS: RED UP
Just watch this choreography and fall in love like I have.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can honestly say that I like this EP more than their last album on a whole. The songs really fit the season and even with everything that is going on with them as a group, they’ve been promoting this with poise. If they stay on this trajectory of songs, I can see them definitely being one of the bigger groups of this generation of K-POP.
PRODUCTION: 3.5 / 5
VOCALS / RAPPING: 4 / 5
VISUALS / CONCEPT: 3.5 / 5
OVERALL: 3.5 / 5
Least Favorite Track(s): HOLD TIGHT
Favorite Track(s): RED UP
Unbothered Unnies 