Primarily based solely on charisma and expertise, Meovv are a few of the most enjoyable rookies in Okay-pop. Their releases, then again, have been a blended bag. From their enjoyable however uneven debut “Meow,” to the catchy however unpolished “Fingers Up,” all of their songs to-date have a near-even break up of optimistic and unfavorable qualities.
This development continues with “Drop High,” the title observe from their first EP. Apparently, this time the entire tune’s cons are gathered in its first two-thirds of its MV. In the meantime, the observe’s greatest qualities solely come to the floor within the (literal) ultimate minute.
Initially, “Drop High” suffers from a startling lack of visible ambition. In comparison with pre-release “Fingers Up,” which was chaotic however actually not boring, “Drop High” is downright drab. Set after set provides nothing distinctive or interesting. It’s one boring inside after one other, plus some pointless flashing lights, unflattering night time imaginative and prescient footage, and a sequence of very artificial-looking arial cityscape photographs.
Because the tune’s lyrics inform a (honest however predictable) story of breaking free from previous challenges and forging a brand new, vibrant future, the MV in all probability supposed the shadowy and character-less interiors to convey a way of the doubts and arduous instances that needed to be survived. Nevertheless, there are one million extra fascinating methods to point out that as a substitute of consuming up greater than half your screentime with forgettable photos.
Fortuitously, the final a part of “Drop High” provides extra artistic moments. Heading into the second refrain, the members leap from a cardboard field into an open sky. Subsequent sequences that present them flying, shot in a naturalistic type, are genuinely charming. There’s additionally some good animation and a wise use of fish eye lens photographs so as to add momentum to the ultimate refrain.
This spike in visible ingenuity coincides with the very best components of the tune musically. The tune’s early verses are, frankly, catastrophic. The empty manufacturing type of “Drop High” fails to steadiness the members’ highly effective and emotive voices (lots of the members have a singing type that calls to thoughts Black Pink’s Jisoo, who has at all times thrived inside lush EDM or pop manufacturing). With nothing to play off of, their singing overwhelms the observe, coming throughout as whiny and even pitchy. That’s earlier than we even hit the brutally unrhythmic rap part that takes up the entire second verse. Meovv have already confirmed they’ll sing very nicely and rap decently, however “Drop High” turns their strengths into weaknesses with its failure to border their vocals appropriately.
The refrain has potential from the beginning. However, it’s helped enormously by a genuinely lovely bridge (the very best a part of the observe by far) and the visible push of the MV’s final part, exploding for the primary time into full life in its final iteration.
The ultimate minute of “Drop High” provides a glimpse into the great tune it may have been. Taken as it’s, nonetheless, it’s mediocre at greatest…and if Meovv are going to meet something near their full potential, mediocre materials isn’t going to chop it.
(YouTube. Photographs through the Black Label.)
