I’ve had a very scatter shot history with Winner. While I loved most of their early material with former member Nam Taehyun, most of their work as a quartet has left alot to be desired. I’ve liked almost all their the songs initially, but only a few have been able to last the test of time. I assume new pre-release single Hold will share the same fate, but its light bouncy atmosphere results in one of the most fun singles we’ve heard in a long time.
With most of the group scheduled to enlist in the military in the coming months, Hold and its accompanying album is probably the last we will hear from Winner as group. This makes the project a bittersweet moment for fans, and while the albums title track will likely harness this sense of melancholy, Hold is anything but a mopey affair. Instead pulsing forward on an enjoyable pop bounce. Opening with the incredibly oversued ‘plopping’ xylaphone sample, it seems as though we’re in for another bland, generic track. Thankfully, the sample becomes more buried within the mix as the track progresses. The verses themselves don’t really carry any substance, instead being carryed forward by the sheer charisma of the groups members.
On the other hand, the tracks hook bursts forward with incredibly buoyant production and delivery. I love the looping synth riff that anchors the hook, as it provides the hook with the necessary catchyness it needs. Winner know this, repeating the hook as many times as they can over the tracks just under three minute run time. It’s short, sweet and perfectly enjoyable in the moment. Yes it’s very generic, but it’s good kind of generic. And sometimes that’s all you really need.
Verses: 7
Chorus: 8
Production: 8
Performance: 8
Final Rating: 7.75 / 10
KBopped 
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