Hey, k-dreamers. It took all of my energy, but I have finally returned to review more kpop songs. Ever since I saw them on Road to Kingdom, I’ve kept TO1 on my radar. After nearly a year, they have returned with a less confusing name and hit us with their comeback “Son of Beast.” I can’t wait to dive into the details!
TO1 unleash the beast through their instrumentation.
First impressions are important in a song. Even though it’s simple, the throbbing and thumping beat draws me in and its effect is very strong. It also nicely ties in with the idea of a beast awakening. While we’re on the topic of first impressions, the blurb of the song I heard before checking it out was from the chorus. The title of the song is quite cheeky and memorable. I also think it was a good call to make the name of the song the catchiest part.
Besides the catchy parts, another one of my favourite parts of the song is the outro. TO1 sings their lines with attitude and interjections of “I’m a son of.” It’s a nice way to hype up the song at the end. I’m a fan of how they included more rapping. Since rappers typically get less lines than vocalists, it’s cool to see them squeeze as many parts in as they can. Rappers don’t just belong in the second verse, people!
This beast is very… predictable?
Alright. Here’s where I have to be a bit nitpicky about the song. “Son of Beast” packs a lot of energy through the instrumentation alone, but its predictable form takes the wind out of its sails a bit. I saw the rap section coming from a mile away. The half-time beat and the cadences sounded too familiar. For a song about being related to a beast, my response to this song was quite tame.
I think it was easier for the outro to stand out because typically for outros, pretty much anything goes. There isn’t really a model for outros in kpop. Though I will admit that the outro isn’t particularly unique. Even so, “Son of Beast” could have easily ended after the final chorus. If it had, it probably would not have made as much of an impression on me.
Honourable Mentions: fromis_9 – We Go, Heize – Happen (I love the music videos for these songs!)
If you like this song, check out: gugudan – Not That Type (2018), Kang Daniel – Touchin’ (2019), Verivery – Layback (2020)
There’s this small part of me that wonders if my fatigue is one of the reasons my reaction to this song was lukewarm. Songs like these are usually up my alley. I guess my brain is fried from music overload. How did you feel hearing this song? Let me know in the comments!