Greetings, k-dreamers! I hope wherever you are the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and “My Treasure” by Treasure is playing in your head. This is the first song of theirs that piqued my interest and I’m happy to have checked it out. At first glance, even though I love the message of the song, it surprised me that I didn’t find the song boring. I mean, the song follows the typical kpop song format. If you’re wondering what format I’m referring to, keep on reading!
To make the perfect kpop song, you will need…
Anyone who has tried to write a pop song probably knows about needing at least two verses, a bridge, and a chorus to have a complete song. Kpop songs tend to have a more detailed pattern to them. Typically, a pre-chorus will bridge the verse and the chorus together, a perfect time to build up for a drop! Sometimes there’s even a post-chorus, then the second verse is the rappers’ time to shine. Once the bridge comes, we slow down the song a little and make it more melodic (gotta let the main vocalist bust out some high notes). Depending on the song, a dance break might be appropriate. Then comes the final chorus, which slightly varies from the first two choruses (unless it’s “In The Dark” by Jeong Sewoon).
Isn’t following a song format boring?
As I said before, “My Treasure” has all of these elements, but they still have fun with each section. When the song starts, the beat of the song isn’t as clear. The piano only seems to play every time Yedam sings. We finally hear the beat when the finger snaps are added to the song.
The most interesting part of the song for me was the rap section in the second verse. I thought the meter had changed, but actually the beat was in triplets. Try to count 1-2-3-4 over the song. You still can during the rap, but there’s a drum playing 1-2-3 over each beat. They had me fooled.
While the song contains a pre-chorus and a bridge, it’s used to highlight their beautiful vocals rather than to set up for a drop or a dance break. Want to know a simple trick to vary the form of a song? Include a post-chorus, then leave it out and go straight to the bridge after the second chorus. Just when everyone forgets about it, you bring it back in the final chorus as the outro. It makes for a happy fairy tale ending like the one Treasure was going for.
Honourable Mentions: AleXa – Never Let You Go, Youha – Abittipsy, Bumkey ft. NONE – Letter To Heaven (two ballads and one dance song, can you guess which one’s which?)
If you like this song, check out: Lee Hong Gi ft. Jung Il Hoon – Cookies (2018), Verivery – Ring Ring Ring (2019), Zico – Any Song (2020)
This song is meant to comfort people, not blindside them with a key change. It did what it set out to do and I think it’s great. But what do you guys think of Treasure’s latest comeback? Let me know in the comments!