Mamamoo’s Moonbyul has been teasing her newest album for weeks, and pre-released the fun throwback track G999 last month. That song hinted at new directions for her music, and Lunatic further fulfills that promise. But while G999 benefited from a laidback groove and focused arrangement, Lunatic feels all over the place.
Judging by its title, this approach may be intentional. I admire the song’s aim, but the end product is overstuffed to the point of breaking. To Moonbyul’s credit, she’s really stretched herself as a performer. She’s no longer just ‘Mamamoo’s rapper,’ unveiling a string of solo songs that veer wildly between genres. Lunatic throws most of them in a blender. At its core, the track bops along a typical modern K-pop beat – all chirpy synths and bass-heavy drop. It’s a proven formula, and one that requires a unique touch to really stand out. That sense of idiosyncrasy comes from Moonbyul’s performance.
I often complain about K-pop’s love of placeholder-word choruses. Lunatic twists this technique to its own aims, but I’m not sold on its “luna-la-la-la-lunatic” hook. There are just too many “blah blah blahs” for me. Coupled with a fitful arrangement that rarely lands on one killer energy, this approach comes across as scattershot. Many of the pieces are stronger than the whole. With this said, I appreciate Lunatic‘s overall vision. It falls somewhere in the middle of Moonbyul’s burgeoning discography, thriving on offbeat energy but struggling to find a melodic anchor worth returning to.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
