2022 delivered a bunch of newly-debuted lady teams, and this 12 months appears poised to do the identical for boy teams. Certainly one of 2023’s most anticipated debuts is BOYNEXTDOOR — the primary idol act below Zico’s KOZ Leisure, with the backing of Ok-pop overlords HYBE. Their upcoming single album guarantees three promoted tracks, and as we speak we get an advance style with pre-release However I Like You (돌아버리겠다).
However I Like You lacks the gravitas of a title observe, however its buoyant, youthful power rapidly establishes BOYNEXTDOOR as… properly… boys subsequent door. Its vaguely punk rock sound is a tried and true Ok-pop method, carried out by vocals that undertake a elegant sneer. It’s good clear enjoyable — brief and candy and to the purpose. There’s a restrict to how excessive I can fee a track this slight, but it surely does its job very properly.
In a distinct world, However I Like You may have been carried out by some scruffy UK indie band within the mid-00’s, and that duality is form of fascinating. BOYNEXTDOOR pull out some dance strikes within the music video, however I can simply as simply think about them busking on the aspect of a street with minimal instrumentation and loads of allure. If something, the track is just too brief. It’s an actual teaser, and I hope this implies extra strong, thrilling issues are coming down the pike. For now, I’ll positively file BOYNEXTDOOR below “ones to look at.”
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B
