BABYMONSTER - DRIP Review
Selective Hearing reviews BABYMONSTER’s first full-length album, DRIP.
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Track Listing
CLIK CLAK
DRIP
Love,Maybe
Really Like You
BILLIONAIRE
Love In My Heart
Woke Up In Tokyo [RUKA & ASA]
FOREVER
BATTER UP (Remix)
Review
The last time I visited a BABYMONSTER release was when I reviewed their first EP, BABYMONS7ER. In that review, I stated they sounded much like a newer version of BLACKPINK, but the overall effort was decent. In this review, I'm finally getting to their first full-length album, DRIP. It features the pre-release song FOREVER and the title tracks CLIK CLAK and DRIP.
Going into this album, the question is whether this will be a repeat of BABYMONS7ER or if it will contain material highlighting BABYMONSTER as more than a younger clone of BLACKPINK.
The pre-release song FOREVER immediately caught my ear. Yes, it does follow a template similar to BATTER UP, but it gets to the uptempo and euphoric parts earlier and more often. Even the rap break in the second verse was something I didn't mind since it didn't interrupt the song's overall flow as much as I thought it would.
As for the title tracks, these are where you hear BABYMONSTER go hard in different ways. CLIK CLAK has the members showing off their rap skills and spitting bars over a sparse, bass-heavy Hip-Hop beat that intensifies to full-on party mode by the song's end. It's a fun track but is hindered by falling into some braggadocious lyrical tropes about money and jewelry. But thankfully, those don't make up the entirety of the lyrical content.
DRIP has BABYMONSTER channelling a 2NE1-like dance track. It has a more playful bravado style than CLIK CLAK, which works well with the more straightforward type of instrumental. Of the two title tracks, DRIP is probably the more accessible to those who want a quick shot of catchy K-pop.
The album cuts present an assortment of goodness to go through. Much like on BABYMONS7ER, BABYMONSTER excels on lower to mid-tempo songs. Love,Maybe is an excellent example. The stripped-down electric guitar-driven instrumental allows the members to show off their vocal capabilities in the best way possible.
Really Like You is a catchy piece of throwback Hip-Hop that should bring back nostalgia for the older folks who grew up in the 90s era of Urban music; if you're not an old head, think of EXID's discography, and you'll get an idea of the type of sound this song is going for. Really Like You brings those feel-good vibes and should be played on repeat.
Love In My Heart sounds like a BLACKPINK song. At least it's a decent track that would be a good closer for a concert tour set. But it didn't do a lot for me otherwise.
Speaking of that, BILLIONAIRE and Woke Up In Tokyo also fall into the category of being nice but not doing much to titillate my juices. I would say I like Woke Up In Tokyo a bit more simply because of my bias towards the Japanese members of BABYMONSTER. However, the song is annoying and cute simultaneously, so it loses some points with me.
At the end of DRIP is a remix of Batter Up. The remix isn't my style, but I appreciate that the vocals are re-recorded to fit this higher-tempo version. It, at least, sounds proper instead of having awkward pigeon-holed vocals that do not line up with the beat.
DRIP made my 2024 year-end list of favourite albums, so of course, it will get a thumbs up from me. While it wasn't perfect, there was enough to like as a whole to get a passing grade. If you have passed on BABYMONSTER before, give this album a chance and see if it changes your mind about them.