I honestly can’t believe it. After almost an entire year, it’s finally here. And just as I had expected, it’s utterly glorious.
When TAN debuted with the phenomenal Du Du Du last year, many including myself were very happy with the debut. The sleek dance pop sound fit the group like a glove and the execution was almost as stellar. However, there was a song within the track list that really stole much of the attention. One that was plastered all of the promotional material but only ended up being a 2 minute long intro. Fix You part 1 was one of last years strongest bursts of K-pop related material, perfectly channeling a tears on the dance floor, 2011 Beast-era melancholic soundscape that just sounded so damn fresh in 2022’s slate of releases. And while we may have gotten a small taste of it back then, we finally have the full course. And boy is it great.
There’s just something so damn classic about a track like Fix You. I just adore its soundscape from top to bottom. It heavily recalls the kind of dance beat assisted melancholic sound of tracks like Baby I’m Sorry and Fiction, two songs which I consider to be absolute perfect K-pop songs. And while Fix You lacks the kind of focus and edge that made those tracks so legendary, its attempt at the sound still resounds with a heavy sense of pathos and charm. The melodies are tight and instantly memorable, propelled by a consistent dance beat that lends Fix You a sense of real depth. Even when the track devolves into a trap assisted post-chorus breakdown, an excellent guitar lick supports the drop in tempo to ensure that the momentum is never really sacrificed. In fact, it’s probably one of the best handled second verse breakdowns I’ve seen in a while.
And there’s the chorus. A segment that remains a thing of utter beauty. The interplay between the airy, falsetto led melodic moments and the chunkier, more directly sung segments is utterly intoxicating, creating a centrepiece that makes brilliant use of dynamics to craft a slam dunk centrepiece. One that heavily impressed in the shorter version but really makes its mark stretched out across a full three minute long track. Fix You is a track that takes a very streamlined approach, taking the expected turns but pulling them off with such finesse that it’s not hard to just fall under its spell. The climax is a great example of this, hitting all the expected notes, including the obligatory high note, but crafting it so tightly that these expectations actually work in the tracks favour. You want and expect the track to go down this route and so when it does, it’s an immensely satisfying experience.
And while the performance slightly differs from last years snippet, it’s still nonetheless excellent. A sentiment that I would pepper throughout all elements of the track. One that stands as an easy standout in a year desperately begging for some.
Verses: 9
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 9 / 10
KBopped 