A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
Based on Wendy’s past solo work, I wasn’t exactly rushing to listen to her new mini album. However, the project turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Rather than serve up a suite of ballads, she’s opted for a collection of upbeat, late-90s coded pop/rock. While the genre itself isn’t anything revolutionary, we don’t often hear this in K-pop — especially from someone of Wendy’s vocal caliber.
Existential Crisis is the album’s shortest song at two minutes and twenty-three seconds. Usually, I’d complain about this truncated length, but this style of track is the rare exception that benefits from brevity. From start to finish, it’s a burst of energy that moves at a clip. I love the bounding percussion and the variety of ways Wendy uses her voice to lend diversity to each segment. You could easily imagine Existential Crisis becoming a country singalong, but thankfully that characteristic twang is replaced with a more unique delivery during the standout chorus.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
