The Feeling‘s been kicking around for a while now. Released around the start of the month as a pre-release for the groups upcoming comeback, the heavy hip hop of HARD, The Feeling stands as the first snippet we’ve heard of the group since Taemin’s enlistment. But given a lack of release on streaming, I wanted to reserve my thoughts until an official studio recording of the track was released. And while kind of unnecessary, the wait only helped to reaffirm my thoughts about the track..
The Feeling is the kind of pure undiluted joy that I’ve been missing from K-pop this year. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish, harnessing a pure lightning in a bottle energy that carries a perfect amount of buoyancy and melancholy within its mix. And while that’s a combination that could be attributed to a number of fan songs, few pull it off with such precision and punch. It’s a song that knows how to deliver a RUSH, something that’s been sorely lacking in 2023’s slate of releases. The chorus alone is utterly magnificent, melding a rousing anthemic melody with a propulsive drum and bass production that perfectly juxtaposes the more laid back melodic arrangement. I love tracks that gradually bring all their elements together and The Feeling does this very well, separating the melody and instrumental during the first chorus before bringing them together for subsequent ones. It’s a simple but incredibly effective tactic, one that builds a sense of progression throughout the track and really brings that sense of character.
Something that’s once again brought in spades thanks to the groups one of a kind vocal tones. I could hear these guys sing almost anything and enjoy it (to a degree). So when given a production as propulsive as this, you know I’m going to eat it up. It’s a thrilling brew, one that truly excites during the tracks second half when all shackles are taken off and the production is free to just fly. The drum n bass goes ham, the sax becomes unhinged and the vocals go sky high. Yet, amongst all these potent elements, The Feeling still manages to come across as fresh and breezy. A characteristic perfect for k-pop summer and an anthem which I’ll no doubt be playing over and over again during the rainy winter months down under.
Verses: 9
Chorus: 9
Production: 9
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 9 / 10
KBopped 