Continuing to catch up on the latest music from the last few weeks before I decide my favorite tracks of the year so far. And there might be some candidates from these four artists! Here’s new music from CRAVITY, Kang Daniel, BE BOYS and DIGNITY.
“Set Net G0!” by CRAVITY
I feel like CRAVITY has been one of the most consistent groups in K-pop. I have enjoyed and even loved every release of theirs. Many times, offering up sound and style that sets them apart from the rest of the crowded field. But they embark on a new era in their careers, launching a rebranding of the group, complete with new name meaning, new logo, and new leaders. Though I personally didn’t feel like a rebrand was needed, (which is quite interesting for Starship to specifically highlight when other companies rarely, if ever, highlight the word and rather just randomly switch up a group’s entire concept and style without warning) I was still looking forward to this new album since, again, I never find myself disappointed by a CRAVITY release.
Now with the release of their full album Dare to Crave, I don’t know that much has changed on that front. While the attention-grabbing rebrand launch video and succeeding teasers piqued curiosity, title track “Set Net G0?!” and the other 11 tracks on the album are really the same CRAVITY that I regularly enjoy. The electronic-powered dance track is catchy and the lyrics encapsulate the group embarking on this new chapter.
My favorite track from the album might be “Love Me Again” and I particularly like “On My Way”, “SWISH”, “Paranoia”, and “Straight Up to Heaven” by Jungmo, Woobin and Seongmin.
The whole album would really slot in comfortably in between their releases which have evolved and developed into a signature sound and style for the group. And I’m glad that this “rebrand” hasn’t completely forced the group to do a 180 like others might have done.
“Episode” by Kang Daniel
Great to have some fresh music from Kang Daniel. Title track “Episode” has a groovy touch to add to the Latin-infused R&B sound. It’s a good track and plays to Daniel’s strengths as a performer. For the rest of the album Glow to Haze, my favorite tracks are the closers “One Call Away” and especially “Little Bit Lost”, both songs that remind me of some of my favorite tracks from him. The ones that showcase Kang Daniel’s deep and introspective side through his music. “Little Bit Lost” might become one of my favorite tracks of the year once I listen to it more and more. Really great album!
“I’m So Sorry, But I Love You” by BE BOYS
The six member group BE BOYS make their debut with their album BE:1 and they make a great first impression with it. Title track “I’m So Sorry, But I Love You” is a great funky pop-dance track with a vibe that suits the youthful lyrics of young love. The other three tracks on the album follow suit and offer the rookie group a great opportunity to showcase their performance skills. A strong debut! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them!
“SWEET2TH” by DIGNITY
I first checked out DIGNITY last year around this time and thought they had originally debuted in 2022. But it turns out last year was their debut, so I wasn’t too out of the loop with them. I enjoyed their debut title track “Cool Down” and its retro vibes. This time “SWEET2TH” is a fun and energetic pop track and perfectly titled with its sweet vibes. Along with an instrumental of the title track is B-side track “To Love”, also a sweet pop ballad. A great release! Hope they can have fresh music more often!