SuperM Dip Their Hands Into A Range of Genres For ‘Super One’
After months of anticipation, the rising stars of SuperM have finally made their landing with “Super One”. This debut full-length album nurses a good fifteen tracks. Now, the boys initially gave us a taste of this project through two singles, ‘Tiger Inside’ and ‘100’ – both proving to be starkly different from each other yet catchy, nonetheless. And today, the boys made their descent with not just their new album, but a visualizer for the track, ‘One (Monster & Infinity)’.
The album opens with this very track, which oddly enough, is a hybrid of the individual songs, ‘Monster’ and ‘Infinity’. In line with SuperM’s signature style, both tracks are defined by their quick tempo, fiery raps and powerful electronic mixes. And yet, interestingly, some of the tracks on this album see a swift change in gears. Tunes like, ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Better Days’ see SuperM opt for gentle piano riffs and pretty acapella harmonies.
In ‘Better Days‘ we hear the boys sing, ‘Just hold on/ I know it hurts/ but the sun will shine through’. For SuperM, it appears that slower pop delicacies make for the perfect glass slippers for themes of hope and perseverance. Other songs like ‘Line em’ Up’ sees the boys adopt pop folk elements, which shine through when the beat drops. While, ‘Big Chance’ brings a soundscape reminiscent of early lighthearted pop bangers from 5 Seconds of Summer.
It’s safe to say that one of the most superior tracks on this album is ‘Drip’. Between dark trap beats and sultry verses, this tune arrives like a breath of fresh air – entirely different from anything SuperM has put forth in the past. So, it’s no surprise that this tune sticks its head out from their cocktail-catalogue of tracks.
SuperM Seek To Find A Distinctive Style
Now, while “Super One” does a fine job of highlighting each member’s strengths in terms of rap and vocals, it also does so by repeating the same formula. And there arises the problem. By continuing the cycle of rap-melody-rap for a large portion of their tracklist, some of their songs do tend to bleed into one another. Further, while the boys have displayed their ability to dabble with a range of different genres, it does make the album seem a tad bit scattered. In fact, this might just be the Achilles’ heel of “Super One”, as there seems to be no real connect between the soundscapes seen on each track.
And yet, as the band mentioned in the past, at its core this album aims to raise spirits and shine the spotlight on the members’ distinctive styles – which it succeeds in doing. There’s no denying that “Super One” is an absolute adrenaline rush from start to finish, but it looks like SuperM is still in the process of searching for a style that makes them stand apart.
By: Nina Karun
