A K-pop act’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.

Treasure’s new mini album feels a little looser and livelier than usual. I like this side of them – and of YG artists in general. Immediately following the EDM party-starter Hello, we have a hard left turn into rock-fueled hip-hop. Sub-unit track VolKno is a tour de force of the group’s talents, opening another new avenue for their sound.

It’s hard not to succumb to VolKno’s energy. The guitars are turned up to maximum level, bringing heavy metal energy. It’s nice to hear a hip-hop unit experiment with sounds and not simply revert to trendy trap beats. There’s a decades long history of these genres fusing together, and modern K-pop itself began with the crunch of a guitar. VolKno hearkens back to this 90’s style – especially during verse two when a retro synthline joins the fray. You could easily imagine Seo Taiji & Boys or H.O.T. performing a track like this.

As if VolKno’s intensity weren’t thrilling enough on its own, the track moves into double time for its pummeling finale. It’s not a particularly hooky track, but that’s not the point. This performance is all about energy, and even if you’re not a big fan of this genre, you’ll be head-banging by the end. Let’s record a title track in this genre, next!