2022 hasn’t been the best when it comes to both boy groups and debuts. Especially for the former. There have been some decently strong debuts this year and others that have grown so much that I unironically really enjoy them. Boy groups on the other hand have failed to really capture me as a listener this year. Even efforts that I thought were pretty strong initially like Cravity’s Adrenaline, VICTON’s Chronograph and MIRAE’s Marvelous failed to really last more than a week or two on my playlist. As such, majority of my best of 2022 shortlist so far is female dominated. With a 15/23 ratio to be exact and the upper band being even more skewed with 8/10 of tracks being female fronted. And my reviews reflect this. And while TAN’s Du Du Du doesn’t really give any of those tracks a run for their money, it manages to hit two birds with one stone.
Now for those unfamiliar with who they are, TAN (To All Nations) are one of the newest groups to spawn from Korea’s never ending obsession with audition shows. The show in question being MBC’s Wild Idol, a survival show that I wouldn’t have even known existed if I didn’t come across their “Born To Be Wild” promotion whilst trying to look for the superior Born To Be Wild. But I digress because Du Du Du, despite its onomatopoeia of a name, is an absolute jam from start to finish.
Opening with a hushed repetition of its title, a hook that goes on to act as an incredibly addicting through line for the track, Du Du Du ushers the listener into an instantly slick soundscape. The acapella delivery coupled with nothing but finger snaps makes great use of silence, letting the bass line to really make an impact once it hits nearly 10 seconds into the track. The production itself isn’t anything we haven’t heard before but I love how tight and uncluttered it is. I’ve always been a sucker for tracks that sound as though they could be played on the runway and Du Du Du fits that description to a tee. It’s understated but never feels boring, building to exciting peaks during the pre-chorus before that slinky anti drop chorus rears its head. I love melody during the hook. It’s instantly hummable whilst still sturdy enough to work as the tracks calling card. The airy delivery matches it perfectly, keeping in theme with the rest of the track and working in perfect tandem with the wavy synth that lines much of the song.
This continues onto the second verse, which forgoes a momentum killing breakdown for an excellent verse that has some real bite. I love when tracks make it a point to keep the energy going and apart from a slight misstep during the bridge, Du Du Du does exactly that. And this dynamic is probably why I keep coming back to this track so much. It’s an effortlessly cool effort that doesn’t take itself too seriously, supplying a steady stream of addictive hooks that stick quickly but get more and more addictive the more listens you go through. Du Du Du may not be exceptional but where debuts are concerned, it’s a home run first effort from a group I can’t wait to see more from.
*AND MOST OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF FIX YOU PART1 WHICH MAY ONLY BE LIKE 2 MINUTES LONG BUT IS EASILY THE BEST BOY GROUP SONG OF THE YEAR. PLEASE CAN WE A FULL VERSION I’M GETTING BLUE BALLED SO HARD RIGHT NOW*
Verses: 8
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75 / 10
KBopped 
Well, I think we might get a full version as Fix You is labeled as Part 1. Hopefully we get a full version SOON.
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