SONG REVIEW: Nissy – Trippin

When I consider some of my absolute favourite albums of all time, Nissy’s ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is one that easily comes to mind. It’s an all killer no filler affair and spans a variety of sounds throughout its 14 song setlist. New album ‘Hocus Pocus 3’ acts as the sequel project to the aforementioned ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ and is spearheaded by the bombastic Trippin. A track that can be best described as “noise music” done right.

Punctuated by exciting blasts of brass and heavy percussive base, Trippin is a mammoth pop song, acting as one of Nissy’s most production heavy tracks yet. But even though he’s relegated to the background during the tracks repetitive yet sinfully catchy chorus, he’s a magnetic as ever. He has one of my favourite voices in modern J-pop and he absolutely attacks the track, imbuing every single moment of this carnivalesque banger with a sense of drama and fun. A lesser performance might have made Trippin feel overly repetitive or bland but Nissy makes sure that every little flourish feels fresh and exciting. It’s a track that acts as a testament to his talents as a performer and one that once again shows the strength of his chameleonic performance style. Especially considering how different It is to his last single, the delicate balladry of From the time I touched you. Which is also quite great.

But Trippin could have really reached the stratosphere if it had a more engaging melody. Don’t get me wrong I love the chaotic energy surrounding the track and hooks are strong but they’re all a little too simple. The verses are actually quite dynamic, playing around with unique textures and vocal effects to create an engaging listen that never sacrifices momentum. However, it still feels like something is missing. The same could be said for the chorus, which underwhelmed heavily on first listen but has since grown exponentially. It’s a similar case to TXT’s Good Boy Gone Bad where the repetitive chorus hindered my initial thoughts on the track but payed off big time in the long run (Love that song now). I love the additional repetitions of the hook during the climax which send the track off on a real high. I still wish both chorus and verse were more melodically inclined but that’s but a minor gripe for an otherwise firecracker of a song.

Verses: 8

Chorus: 8

Production: 9

Performance: 10

Final Rating: 8.75 / 10