ENHYPEN are one of those groups that I always feel like I underestimate. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan but they’ve yet to release a title track that I’ve disliked, instead stringing together a rather strong singles run that has only gotten better with time. Sure they’re heavily reliant on many of the qualms I have with HYBE’s recent direction but by having their entire sound framed around those aspects, they’ve managed to make their efforts entirely enjoyable. Last years bombastic Future Perfect quickly grew into one of the years favourites despite its less than stellar initial impressions and though not as potent, Bite Me seems to be following a similar trajectory.
Framed by an instantly iconic hook that it exclaims loud and proud from its opening moments, Bite Me is strongest when it leans into its more classic tendencies. The chorus here, though repeated multiple times, works as an absolute anchor, pulsing with just the right amount of melodic edge to fit perfectly with the concept whilst still delivering a wonderfully solid ear worm. It’s got a real sense of lift and focus, one that plays wonderfully over the course of multiple listens. And while it may be a little Jason Derulo in delivery, that only ends up adding to the charm in my eyes. The airy pre-chorus is another big highlight, experimenting with dynamics and vocal layering to add another layer to a track that could have easily come across as much more mundane. The percolating production during the verses furthers this notion, keeping the listener in a consistent yet ever morphing soundscape that skirts the fine line between monotonous and focused.
However, Bite Me falters during the chanted section pre-chorus. On its release, I along with many others believed this be an absolute killer in the context of the song, stripping much of the tight, laser focused momentum the track had been building up to this point. Further listens have done much to make this jarring transition less painful but it still sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise all killer no filler effort. Subsequently, Bite Me suffers from an abrupt and underwhelming ending. Rather than bring everything together for a knockout finale that sends the track off on a high, Bite Me instead ends with a whimper, fading out with little more than an atmospheric instrumental outro that does little to leave much of a lasting impression. Sure the chorus and pre-chorus do much to elevate its standing but it lacks the overall potency that a bridge and climax could bring. Attributes that could have made an otherwise solid track into something exceptional.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 9
Production: 8
Performance: 8
Final Rating: 8.25 / 10
KBopped 