Wow, it feels weird talking about a B1A4 (or is it A3 now?) song in 2020. Despite them being one of my all time favourite boy groups, I had all but given up hope on seeing any new material from the group after Jinyoung and Baro left WM. Especially since Jinyoung was responsible for almost all of B1A4’s post 2012 material. But 2020 is the year of surprises and hidden within the many bad ones, are some genuine bright spots. And while Like A Movie doesn’t come close to the upper echelons of B1A4’s near flawless discography it’s further proof that nobody does mid-tempo’s like B1A4.
Opening with a muffled, vintage sample of the tracks primary instrumental flourish, Like a movie sets out its influences almost immediately. This is a track that’s hopping on the recent retro trend, but rather than take its influence from the 80’s, harkens back even further. It feels much more indebted to 50’s and/or 60’s music and in that way, is kind of refreshing. But apart from this refreshing influence, the first few minutes of Like A Movie initially left me cold. It felt too much like every other coffee house mid-tempo and something that felt too one dimensional for a group like B1A4. The clipped instrumental gave me pause but the lethargic pace was what really caught me off guard. But once, the strings come in, everything changes. It’s an instrumental flourish that goes a long way in elevating the track and I love how it becomes more and more pronounced throughout Like A Movie‘s run time.
The chorus also rises and swells in a very satisfying manner. In fact, Like A Movie plays out a lot like Christmas song. It’s a gorgeous melody, perfectly comforting and instantly enjoyable. Now I know had Jinyoung been at the helm of Like A Movie, we could have had a really special climax, but I don’t want to discount this one. It ramps up with additional instrumental flourishes and really provides a more ethereal atmosphere to the entire track. In my opinion, Sandeul is one of the Korean music industries best vocalists and his skills are on full display here. In fact, all three sound incredible here. Gongchan especially has improved leaps and bounds vocally since we last heard from him. And while I would have really loved a more upbeat dance track, I can’t say I’m disappointed by this.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 8
Production: 8
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.25 / 10
KBopped 