tripleS hatch! - Untitled Review
Selective Hearing reviews <Untitled>, the debut single from tripleS’ first Japanese sub-unit Hatch!.
Release Date: November 20, 2024
Untitled
### (hatch! Version)
###
Review
∞! (pronounced as hatchi) is tripleS' tenth sub-unit. They are also the first Japanese sub-unit to be formed from a dimension vote. This unit will last one year and is supposedly rotational. Gravity events will (in theory) refresh the lineup every year.
In the summer of 2024, MODHAUS pre-selected two members (Mayu and Shion) to be part of the Japan sub-unit. Then, the gravity of selecting the remaining six members took place. By the end of August, the selection process had ended, and the roster of the Japan sub-unit had been completed.
hatch! debuted on November 20, 2024, with its first single, Untitled. The physical release comes in eleven versions to relieve fans/collectors of their hard-earned money at an accelerated pace.
Those who frequently buy from Japanese idol acts are immune to such things and know they're kissing their cash goodbye. While multiple editions of Korean idol releases are becoming more prominent, they are not as normalized as in Japan, so it might be a bit of a shock to the bank accounts of those who want to complete their physical tripleS discographies.
Untitled is a song I knew was coming, but I missed covering it on its initial release since it was a busy time of year for me. It was only near the end of December 2024 that I had time to sit down and give this single a solid listen.
My expectation for Untitled was it would be something similar to ###, where they catered a little more toward the tastes of fans of Japanese idol music rather than those of K-pop listeners.
I was wrong about that assumption since Untitled is a moody piece of Drum and Bass instead. The instrumental wraps itself around the lyrics (mainly in Japanese with some English) about tripleS beginning a new journey into the unknown with the trademark tripleS "La La's" intact.
In a way, the feeling I get from Untitled is similar to when I listen to the emo era of Keyakizaka46 or some of the more recent pieces from their rebrand, Sakurazaka46 where there's some lasting impact after the song is over. It's not a one-and-done like most idol songs.
Untitled is a bold choice for a debut Japanese song and a complete 180 from ###. I'm unsure what type of idol music listener this song would appeal to in Japan. Untitled seems too left-field for those deep into the typical mainstream idol sound and probably not hyper enough for those who dwell in the sub-basements. But you have to give some props to MODHAUS for trying something different rather than dipping into the well of tripleS' Korean catalogue, translating the lyrics to Japanese and calling it a day.
The b-sides included in this single are the hatch! and original versions of ###. If you missed the song when it was released in July 2024, this single allows you to give it a spin.