In terms of misguided management decisions, DSP Media’s April would probably sit near the top of the list. After scoring a sleeper hit with 2018’s fantastic Oh My Mistake, the group have been completely MIA. It’s been a frustrating wait for fans, and has honestly felt like a missed opportunity. Not only has this extended hiatus potentially buried the group under other more fruitful and eye-catching names, but has also raised expectations to sky high levels. And while LALALILALA doesn’t quite reach those heights, it’s fantastic piece of propulsive dance pop.
While APRIL’s earlier tracks adhered to a more bubblegum sound, I’ve always felt as though some of their songs were abit too limited in ambition. This isn’t entirely the groups fault, as being KARA’s juniors would almost certainly warrant unfair comparison between the two. And while I liked that DSP preferred APRIL to carve out an identity for themselves, I always felt that it was a missed opportunity for them to not follow in KARA’s footsteps. And I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that, as LALALILALA harnesses KARA’s perfect sound into one of the years most note perfect hooks. In an era dominated by limp refrains and buzzkill instrumental breakdowns, LALALILALA‘s chorus is a breath of fresh air, combining a number of instantly addicting refrains into one gigantic centrepiece.
And honestly, if the rest of the song measured up to the hook, we would probably have a single worthy of song of the year. Unfortunately, LALALILALA has some unusually restrained verses. While the sonic contrast might work for some, I would have preferred if they maintained that same sense of momentum throughout. We get a glimpse of this during the bridge, which pulses with the kind of unrelenting energy that I hoped would be present during the verses. They aren’t a total buzzkill, but prevent LALALILALA from truly transforming into something extraordinary,
LALALILALA might not be perfect, but it paints an incredibly promising future for APRIL as a group. If they choose to continue down this road, I’ll be patiently waiting for their STEP or Pandora.
Verses: 7
Chorus: 10
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75 / 10
KBopped 
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