Despite their rookie status, BAE173 haven’t released much music. We last heard from them nearly a year ago, when they delivered the anthemic Loved You. That song wasn’t perfect, but it had a classic touch and melodic though-line that made it stand out. With new single Jaws, the group has switched gears dramatically, opting for a clattering hip-hop banger in a familiar NCT style.

I’m sorry to see this. I think it’s a shame when rookie groups feel like they have to wedge themselves into existing trends rather than carve their own niche in the industry. I understand why agencies do this (and judging by Jaw’s music video, MBK Entertainment is clearly operating on a budget), but it makes things pretty boring for listeners. It’s like a pick-and-mix with only one choice to pick and nothing to mix. In this case, agencies are struggling to please anyone who doesn’t enjoy this noisy sound.

The thing is, there’s a decent song swimming around inside Jaws. The hip-hop verses are pretty good – even underlined by that aggravating instrumental. The guys’ vocals sound better than ever during the pre-chorus – strong and well-arranged. However, Jaws’ chorus is overly busy. Loud, shouty hooks aren’t automatically a bad thing, but when you throw a million things on top of a chorus at once, it just devolves into a wall of noise. None of the elements within this instrumental are particularly enjoyable on their own. Taken together, they’re a recipe for a headache. It’s too bad, because the actual hook is pretty catchy. Mostly, I’m confused about who MBK wants BAE173 to be. From Crush On U to Loved You to Jaws, there’s been no stylistic continuity.