A K-pop group’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

Okay, this just makes me mad. How do you record a song this fantastic, this tailor-made for promotions, and not choose to make it your album’s title track?

I’m sure many of you will say: “Nick, you always pick these synthy pop songs for your buried treasures. You’re clearly biased toward this sound.” And yes, that’s true. But even without those elements, I think Take Me Home does what it does so much more successfully than I’m The One.

Take Me Home builds upon so many of ATEEZ’s strengths – from Jongho’s power vocals to Edenary’s ability to build toward a knockout climax – but it doesn’t feel like the group repeating themselves. It will please long-time fans, but offer inroads for those who might not have been convinced by the ATEEZ sound thus far. It’s fully realized, with each segment standing on its own as a highlight. It boasts a whopper of a chorus, but also makes room for those hard-hitting rap breakdowns the group has always done well. It’s got a visual aspect, with those icy synths providing the perfect backdrop for a cool cyberpunk aesthetic. And to top it all off, it has something that very few K-pop tracks do: a blazing saxophone solo that ends the song on an incredible high.

And yes, we can certainly enjoy Take Me Home whether it’s a title track or not. But, great songs become even greater when fleshed-out with a music video, choreo and promotions. Somebody needs to introduce me to KQ Entertainment’s A&R team. I’d clearly like to have a word…

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