The lines between music and advertisement have always been blurred in K-pop, making the industry’s CF track worth watching out for. In fact, I think last week’s Gatorade jingle was actually stronger than most official comebacks! The Pepsi/Starship collaboration continues with Blue & Black, bringing together Hyojung and Arin from Oh My Girl, Wonyoung and Leeseo from IVE, and Serim and Jungmo from CRAVITY. That’s quite a powerhouse team!
Unfortunately, the song itself is a miss for me. It feels like several songs slammed together, and none of them amount to much. The pounding beat has promise, bringing an almost industrial groove to the track. But, Blue & Black is lacking in memorable melody. It’s very sing-talky all the way through, with vocal lines that come and go with little impact. The chorus feels exactly like an advertisement for a soft drink (duh!), making it more obnoxious than enjoyable. I’m already eager for the “oh, it’s pretty cool” hook to leave my memory.
But although Blue & Black is an advertisement through and through, it still manages to make room for one of those awful tempo-shifting rap breaks during verse two. I suppose they had to give the CRAVITY guys something to do, but they’re relegated to casting off shots of blustery attitude while the ladies drive most of the track. The combination of these talents is potentially exciting, but musically speaking, I think I’ll be drinking more Gatorade than Pepsi this month.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
