In my review of 1VERSE’s pre-release Multiverse, I described how I became a fast and fervent fan of the group thanks to their YouTube content. Hopefully some of you followed that path as well, and if you did today is a big day because it marks the group’s official debut. While Multiverse offered a sweet, melodic pop sound, Shattered takes a more aggressive approach.
I try not to become a pre-debut fan because you never know how the music’s going to turn out and that’s by far the most important quality of a group for me. I’m still not quite sure how 1VERSE might sound as their catalog grows. Shattered offers glimpses of potential and moments of frustration. By now, you all know that I’m no fan of shout-chant choruses, though my enthusiastic embrace of NCT Dream’s BTTF has me questioning that a bit. In the pantheon of shout-chant hooks (if there is such a thing), Shattered is better than most. There’s a nice rhythm to the phrasing and the guys’ voices are more powerful than grating. However, I can’t help but wish for more robust refrains anchoring Shattered‘s centerpiece.
The song’s crunchy electro textures hold plenty of potential, even if we’ve heard them employed often from groups like NCT and ONF. And when the arrangement layers tight moments of melodic drama over the top, I can hear the fantastic song Shattered might be. As it stands, this is a sturdy debut that easily competes with similar efforts from much bigger companies. I’m still partial to the more melodic Multiverse and hope 1VERSE can find a balance between these two songs in the future.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
