It’s been more than a year since Cignature’s last comeback. In that time, the group has seen member changes and a reinvention in sound. Gone are the crazy days of Arisong (whose bonkers approach ended up being super fun), replaced by the much more subdued Boyfriend. K-pop reinventions aren’t rare, but how will a rookie group like Cignature fare after such a long hiatus?
Well, Boyfriend fits the group like a glove. It’s nice to hear them tackle a sound that’s different from most of their peers. I’m actually shocked the track opts for such a muted tone. It runs counter to many of the industry’s trends, but that helps it stand out. Better yet, Boyfriend allows the girls to show off their vocals in a way that feels less affected than past title tracks. They sound assured here, given space to twist the melody and add nuance in the right places.
As far as the song itself, Boyfriend is alright. Everything about it feels quite “generic Western pop,” which is a bit of a comedown after the craziness of Arisong and ASSA. The chorus opts for the sort of anthemic stomp that tends to be an easy fallback for tracks of this style. The melody in the chorus is too repetitive, but it’s supported by a satisfying rumble of synth. I like how spare the verses feel, but even here the refrains come across as predictable to the point of tedium. Cignature inject enough character to make Boyfriend worth discovering. I just hope that, after this switch-up in sound, the girls are given more daring material that pushes their transformation in interesting directions.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
