Astro were one of my first musical obsessions after creating this blog. Their debut year delivered pop classic after pop classic, only to culminate in the brilliantly bright, brilliantly melodic Dream Part One album in 2017. Can you believe there was a time when both they and GFriend were reliably releasing Iggy/Youngbae-produced bangers? I miss artist/composer partnerships with specific vision and musical perspective.

New single Candy Sugar Pop is the group’s most buoyant single since those halcyon days. I mean, how can a song called “Candy Sugar Pop” be anything but fizzy and ebullient? This just so happens to be the formula I covet when it comes to Astro, making this my favorite comeback they’ve released in years. The song’s retro influences feel like a natural progression from Rocky and JinJin’s solo project this January, bolstered by SHINee-esque funk for good measure.

A great pop song is only as strong as its chorus, and Candy Sugar Pop boasts a whopper. The melody is big and splashy, underlined by exciting synth and bounding percussion. It’s the kind of hook that will instantly lodge itself in your head – sweet and sugary without crossing into cloying territory. I love when those massive synths are joined by rap during the song’s final moments. It’s such a satisfying energy. In contrast, the verses (and especially the pre-chorus) don’t quite match up to the catchiness of the hook. Candy Sugar Pop spins its wheels a bit more than it should, making the chorus even more indispensable. With so many of their peers shouting and posturing over clanging beats, Astro wisely play to their strengths, delivering one of the strongest boy group tracks this year.