After a near 15 month hiatus, incredibly underrated boy group Imfact are finally back with new music. And while I accept any return with open arms, 2020 has been a rather lacklustre year for kpop, and boy groups especially. Many groups, both popular and nugu have been attempting to recreate the same sounds over and over again, With this in mind, I approached Lie with caution. Thankfully, Lie is one of the stronger boy group songs we’ve heard in a while.
Opening with a rather trendy fusion of rhythmic piano and swirling tropical synths, Lie quickly launches into a more propulsive deep house groove. Although this kind of instrumentation would have seemed generic a few years ago, it somehow feel incredibly refreshing in 2020. It has a wonderful drive to it, pulsing forward with an equally engaging melody. It actually reminds me alot of Hotshot’s Jelly, a song that I think was incredibly underrated upon its release. And while Lie might unfortunately share the same fate, both songs are incredibly strong. On first listen, Lie‘s two part chorus threw me off. After that breathless pre-chorus, the minimalistic bounce of the hook felt a little underwhelming. In fact, I was almost ready to click off the song before the much more impactful second half came slamming in.
In retrospect, this contrasting structure works wonders for the songs overall appeal. The interplay between Jeup’s soaring vocals and Ungjae’s more slurred hook is brilliant, providing the track with a great centrepiece. The only issue I have with Lie is that buzzkill trap breakdown that follows the first chorus. It’s not the worst one I’ve ever heard, but it -prevents the song from being truly transcendent. A common theme between Imfact’s last few songs, is that they unveil their charms over time. And sure enough like 2018’s NaNaNa, Lie is a song that has only gotten better with further listens. It’s not as effortlessly cool as NaNaNa, but its dynamic nature and propulsive hook easily make it a standout in a year that sorely needs some.
Verses: 9
Chorus: 9
Production: 8
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75 / 10
KBopped 
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