Cherry Bullet burst onto the scene early last year with the funk laced electro pop of Q&A. Though the song proved very addictive upon its release, time hasn’t been the kindest to it. One forgettable summer single and the loss of 3 members later, the group have returned with their weakest track yet in the form of Hands Up.
The main problem that I have with Hands up, is that It just doesn’t have any impact at all. It’s a song that’s more focused on stringing together a number of catchphrases than develop a fully engaging melody. This doesn’t do the song any favours as it feels like the song is constantly just stuck. Never moving forward and simply looping itself endlessly throughout its run time. The uninspiring mid-tempo bounce of the backing track also lacks any character; propelling the song along without bringing anything new to the table. Although I get that the song is going for novelty status, the maddeningly catchy hook is more annoying than enjoyable. Although I appreciate the Für Elise sample, it’s twisted in a way that removes all the charm that the classical piece had.
Hands Up is at its best when it decides to lean into the arrangements more dynamic elements. The bridge is good example of this, as the percussion and synths become more prominent, resulting in a streamlined build towards the final chorus. The pre chorus also elicits some sparks, but without a memorable melody, there isn’t much to grab onto here. The song also suffers from an identity crisis. The attitude infused verses point towards a more powerful song, but the minimal chorus feels more novel than anything. In essence it comes off more as something you would label as “late album filler” than a track worthy to lead a comeback. They could do so much better.
Verses: 6
Chorus: 5
Production: 6
Performance: 7
Final Rating: 6 / 10
KBopped 
One thought on “SONG REVIEW: Hands Up – Cherry Bullet”