After promising signs on GWBG, ITZY delivers the one-two punch of forgettable sounds with dull concepts. Featuring their craziest (in a bad way) song to close, which really is saying something.

what a commitment to never putting out a dull sound

i come back to this album way too much. like not even logic in general, just this album
probably because i listened to this a lot thru turning points in my life, but i will never deny that certain flows on this album are just too catchy, unfair catchy

it sucks even more when u remember that everyone (justifiably) thinks logic is garbage. stop because garbage bobby, i think you have the talent to be something called a rapper instead...

on certain days i will call this the better album

what a nite

did this review just to feel something again. what a magic this album is, the contained violent energy, the confusingly sick aesthetics, the simple flows and the heavy lines. it doesnt feel like anything here shouldve made nearly as much sense as it did. this is the start of a musical identity that will be studied, documented, and historically landmarked as a moment everyone in the world started to start looking at this douchebag posse of hip hop innovators.

right hook into right hook into right hook into right hook into
in all seriously its hard not to be entertained listening to this, it just oozes energy and is more often then not disgustingly catchy.

oohhhhhkaayyyy i glazed this band on twitter a lot. i rlly rlly do love julian casablancas and ive always loved his sound in almost everything he touched, and i was really surprised to struggle to keep this album in my listening rotation.

not much to say other than while i actually do like the songwriting at points i see a lot of people dislike (cough wwttotbe cough) i also think that this project gets stale on certain songs and when it gets stale it gets really state. and to get sick of one ... read more

compared to break, stick out sacrifices big accessible singles for album wide consistency and a clean production. along with a new sound, which i like, very, very, much. yes please make these beats boppier. make those synths more full. bring out the rap line more and take advantage of the strong vocal line. this is another step forward for the nmixx sound, further and further showcasing their versatility, technical skill, as well as the songwriters ability to write catchy songs that while not ... read more

imo this is unfortunately itzy's strongest and most consistently compelling release, maybe ever.

unfortunately they stubbed their toe on the most important track for kpop commercial success

will relisten later and write a full review but umm this album could rlly use a touch up and im a lil confused here

Green Day at a creative peak. This is how you sound both confident in your own sound, yet revitalized with new ideas.

No amount of virgin jokes can undercut the sheer emotional intensity of these songs. If not for Blue this would be River's peak as a lyricist. Having stripped back a lot of these songs myself, its kind of amazing how musically compelling some of the individual parts of this record are, but when combined it evolves into this wailing, screaming crash of emotions. Only a little less catchy than its predecessor, it makes up for it in songs that delve more into River's conflicting ... read more

I know this album is viewed well, but it still needs to be talked about more. There are some actual really cool and catchy ideas spread throughout this album, and it keeps a decent pace doing so. Some of these songs actually deserve recognition for being rhythmically creative while still conforming to that 4th gen k-pop sound, which is the project's biggest downslide. The production is really what holds a lot of the songs back, with the constant focus being very smooth and sweet vocals and ... read more

An strong debut with nice colourful sounds which really demonstrates how strong the team over at Hybe is. Lot of interesting rhythmic ideas, especially on the two openers. But these ideas would not land if not for the strong support of a well polished and illustrious instrumental, not to mention the boys really nailing their mix of smooth and snappy vocals. Not a huge fan of a lot of slower songs in kpop, and while I can understand the need for a song like Nap of a Star, it wasn't really ... read more

dont call it a comeback

A cohesive product of seemingly incohesive elements. A victory lap showing of the band's endless mastery between their own instruments, their band chemistry and style, as well as their ability to imprint that style onto so many diverse genres while still creating a respectable and appealing song. It is hard to understate the technical ability they possess to pull this off, employing so many vastly different elements into their songs, at the same time respecting the field where it came from ... read more

there is this infectious charm from the sounds on this album, like you can feel the fun the band members are having while playing.

unfortunately on the latter half the album the sounds start to meld together, and it starts to feel like i've already heard most of the tricks vampire weekend have to offer is in first half.

With the flop of their last EP and the absence of Lia, there is a lot to be taken away from this BORN TO BE. ITZY was put in a difficult spot at the end of 2023, and considering the time it took this project to release compared to KILL MY DOUBT, they knew it too. However, while it's hard to say that this rush in production has truly paid off for them, this definitely is a much more solid project than a lot of their prior releases. Musical concept wise, it's exactly what the group needed and ... read more

A disappointment, and an affront to the skill of each member. A blend of different ideas, with some actually being good, but the biggest mistake this project makes is positioning CAKE as the centrepiece of the album. Actually, releasing CAKE is a mistake already. It feels like every other song on the album needed a little extra push to really realize the full potential of their sounds, yet fall just short of the mark and are left feeling unfinished, unmemorable and boring. CAKE on the other ... read more