Boy group ENOi debuted last year with the underrated Bloom and have been pretty much off the radar ever since. Cheeky marks the end of an 8 month long wait, which is a dangerously long time for a rookie group to remain relatively inactive. Especially in this current cut throat K-Pop climate.
New release Cheeky is fine, but feels like a lesser re-interpretation of stronger songs of this style. On paper I should really enjoy a song as upbeat and poppy as this, but something about this song just doesn’t sit right with me. The melody is fine, but nothing really sticks out. The chorus is strong, but doesn’t have any hooks that I can see lasting the test of time. It’s personality driven verses are probably the songs strongest moment, especially since there is no half time trap breakdown to be found!!
The production is also on point, showcasing a multitude of both instrumental and vocal textures within the songs soundscape, even building to a notable climax. The whole atmosphere of the song reminds me heavily of early Seventeen or Golden Child, which is a worthy praise in itself. However while most songs released by those groups had dynamic melodies, Cheeky just feels a little all over the place. The potential for ENOi to improve further is there, and regardless of all the issues I have with this track, I’ll be keeping an eye out for them in the future.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 7
Production: 8
Performance: 8
Rating: 7.75 / 10
KBopped 
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