Global music trends are currently in my favor, as sounds shift in directions I tend to enjoy. As always, K-pop is catching up to deliver a wealth of rhythmic, retro-themed tracks. By any measure, I should be jumping up and down and proclaiming this a golden age for the industry. Yet when it comes to my own ratings, so many of these songs lodge themselves in the mid-8’s at best. Why is this?

Pentagon’s Feelin’ Like is a great case study. Like so many of its peers, it’s an appetizer rather than a main course. Its overall sound will always appeal to me, but the song is robbed of any opportunity to grow into something special. Verse one gets off on the right foot as chugging bass underlines a catchy melody delivered with flair. From here, Feelin’ Like spins its wheels until it reaches its central drop. Even by K-pop drop standards, this is a pretty feeble centerpiece. I kept waiting for something to else to happen, but the track is content to rest on this not-so-special rhythmic loop.

Drops have been popular in K-pop for years, and they can be thrilling when surrounded by the right elements. But, they can also feel exceedingly lazy – an opportunity to showcase dance skills over dynamic songcraft. Feelin’ Like clocks in at under three minutes and feels severely under-formed. The ballsy bridge attempts to deliver some punch, but I fear it’s too little, too late. The song quickly falls back into that maddening drop, doo doo doo-ing its way toward a bland conclusion.