Nothing has been extra miserable than watching the gradual downward drift of Woollim Leisure. They’ve lengthy been host to my favourite Okay-pop artists and an A&R group who reliably selects prime tier songs. Nevertheless, the company hasn’t launched greater than a three-song single album since November 2022. I’m unsure what’s occurring, however their assets are clearly depleted, which means artists have solely been in a position to make one comeback a 12 months. It’s lastly time for DRIPPIN to make their long-awaited return, almost a 12 months after the underwhelming Seven Sins.
New single Stunning Maze provides their music a brighter makeover, however doesn’t do a lot to set itself other than the pack. It’s a particularly secure launch, harnessing fashionable synth textures and a driving beat that stays fixed during. It’s a nice mixture of parts, however squanders the ambition that highlighted DRIPPIN’s wonderful “Villain” collection. From manufacturing to melodies, the music appears like a flat line, by no means daring to journey from its base parts.
Should you’re going to relegate your artists to at least one launch per 12 months, it’s much more essential that this launch says one thing. As gratifying as Stunning Maze is on a floor degree, it feels extra like an obligation than a pleasure. It retains the DRIPPIN ball rolling in tremendous vogue, however does nothing to develop or outline their discography. They might have been higher off going again to the nicely and releasing the wonderful Attain Out Your Fingers or Silence as an overdue title observe.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+