We have another 2022 debut on our hands, as BLANK2Y give a thumbs up to the K-pop industry. They’re the first idol group to hail from the recently established Keystone Entertainment. (Side note: it always surprises me when newish agencies debut groups with so many members. Isn’t that super expensive??). Some of the guys come from disbanded groups 1THE9 (check out the mega-bop Bad Guy, btw) and ENOi, along with survival series like Produce 101, I-LAND and Wild Idol. That’s a ton of pedigree. So, does Thumbs Up leave a memorable mark?

I wish I could say it did! We’ve had so many rookie groups so far this year, but very few have stood out in a big way. Thumbs Up has some good instincts, but they’re undercut by its desire to fit in with the crowd. The song’s first thirty seconds tell you everything. Hmmm… where have we heard this clattering synth sound before? Could it be… in about a million other recent boy group songs?

Thankfully, Thumbs Up improves as we move into the verses. The beat is nice and the guys deliver a convincing performance that drives the energy home. The pre-chorus is even better, building anticipation without slowing down or upending momentum. However, Thumbs Up’s chorus is bound to polarize. I find it pretty obnoxious, but if you like obnoxious you’ll probably fall in love. The melody feels too nursery-rhyme for me, as that familiar synth drop returns full force. The song slavishly follows K-pop tropes by moving toward a final-minute bluster-a-thon, but there’s some potential here. BLANK2Y just need to find a perspective of their own.