As a group, UP10TION had a fantastic first few years. Songs like White Night, Tonight and Going Crazy were some of the best pop songs of 2016 and 2017 respectively and while their material since has remained strong, it’s lacked the impact of their best work. Last years Your Gravity was a nice dance track that cracked my top 50 songs of 2019 and while Light shares many of the strengths of that track, it doesn’t really feel as dynamic as it theoretically should.
Firstly, there is much to like about Light. I enjoy the brisk pace of its verse and the reoccurring synth line is a very nice addition. The bouncing percussion adds a very nice groove, something furthered by the addition of rhythm guitar. I’ve always believed UP10TION to have some really unique vocalists and their distinct vocal timbres really shine here. The instrumental swerves and builds whilst still maintaining a nice sense of drive and momentum throughout. If the rest of Light continued this kind of breathless trajectory, we could have had a real standout here.
Unfortunately, Light stumbles during its hook. The tempo almost ceases to exist here, transforming the otherwise engaging instrumental into a lurching shell. It’s not the worst drop ever but it does sacrifice a lot of what was being built up till then. The punching synths here do their best to compensate but the complete lack of momentum does little to excite. The lack of a standout hook was also a gripe I had with Your Gravity but the pulsating instrumental was more than enough to compensate. Unfortunately, Light doesn’t start the same benefits. It by no means ruins the song, but it prevents me from fully loving what I was expecting to be one of my favourite songs of the year. I’m still rooting for you UP10TION! Next time be sure to return with all 10 of your members!
Verses: 9
Chorus: 6
Production: 8
Performance: 8
Final Rating: 7.75/10
KBopped 