Despite only being a few days old, PSY’s That That and its accompanying album have both become 2022 highlights, injecting life into a musical landscape that’s been marred by an influx of overly edgy or just plain boring songs. That That especially has managed to feel like of of the years most buoyant musical moments, becoming more and more catchy and lively every repetition. Follow up single Celeb harnesses a similar infectious energy though lacks some of the charm that made its predecessor such a jam.
Initially scheduled for a 2019 release that was delayed indefinitely as a result of PSY’s departure from YG and the due processes required to establish his own company P-nation, Celeb feels as though it’s been on the conveyor belt forever. And to be completely honest, it’s honestly a minor miracle that we even have it at all. But now that we do have it, I’m happy to say that’s its pretty good! By recruiting Suzy as part of his ever growing harem that features the likes of CL, HyunA and Naeun to name a few, Celeb harkens back to the kind of bouncy fun that characterised so much of PSY’s work. It’s much further away from his Gangnam Style sound than most of his post 2012 singles instead harkening back to the sounds that made his older singles such a treat. The staggered opening hook punctuated by an incredibly catchy keyboard riff is easily a track highlight, managing to meld both the quirky and classic aspects of his sound into a segment that feels instantly iconic. I love how this riff plays throughout the track too, lending a sense of continuity that gives Celeb a feeling of completeness. The same can be said for the tracks rambunctious dance break and sparse, vocal led bridge, which offer exciting detours that keep Celeb from feeling monotonous.
Which brings me to the tracks biggest problem. It just doesn’t have enough variety or unique calling cards to really turn it into a knockout. The percussive bounce that frames most of the track is fun but it’s not something we haven’t heard before. The same could be said for the chorus which remains catchy but feels overstuffed, resulting in the hooks not really landing as well as they potentially could. It’s still catchy and holds up over multiple listens but the entire arrangement feels a little too flimsy for my liking. But these criticisms don’t really matter much when you get something that’s just so eager to please. It’s an utterly infectious piece of work and one that slots nicely into PSY’s collection of upbeat bangers.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 8
Production: 8
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.25 / 10
KBopped 