Naniwa Danshi launched their second album Popmall this week, and it’s being promoted by two contrasting songs. These tracks symbolize the duality of the group’s music, and might be finest described by this well-known meme:

The ebullient Poppin’ Hoppin’ Lovin’ is enjoyable however sort of exhausting. I’m far more drawn to LAI-LA-LA, which seems like a sequel to final yr’s sensible The Reply. This can be a particular Johnny’s Leisure fashion I’m hopelessly biased in direction of. Teams like KAT-TUN and Kis-My-Ft2 have fairly just a few tracks with this aesthetic. However actually, each Johnny’s act has at the very least one in every of these modern,  propulsive bangers of their arsenal.

There are just a few causes I like this sound a lot. The manufacturing feels full and resounding, with loads of reverb and layering. I believe producers name this sound “moist.” From Jam & Lewis all the way in which as much as Sweetune, it’s an strategy that’s all the time appealed to me. The manufacturing on LAI-LA-LA‘s vocals sounds nice. Throughout components of the hook, they’re virtually choral. However each ingredient of the instrumental has that thumping fullness that that basically pulls me in.

Secondly, the melodies have a way of drama that makes for pure peaks and valleys. The track builds and explodes and coasts if you least anticipate it. The refrain’s three-part construction makes for a novel development, and the segue into verse two (which you’ll be able to’t hear on the edited YouTube model) is especially satisfying. LAI-LA-LA isn’t fairly as efficient as The Reply (its climactic energy word must be greater, for one), nevertheless it’s nonetheless one in every of Naniwa Danshi’s strongest tracks. I hope they don’t totally abandon this promising course in favor of cutesy fluff.

Grade: A-