It’s been a struggle for Woollim Entertainment this year, with just a smattering of single albums released since last November. Their most established group, Golden Child, have been mired in their longest hiatus yet and the young Rocket Punch haven’t fared much better. It’s been over a year since we last heard from them, making Boom an important, long-awaited comeback.
Sadly, the song embraces my least favorite aspects of the group’s sound. I loved last year’s Chiquita, which reinvented them as towering synth warriors. The quirky Flash was also a highlight. In contrast, Boom feels juvenile and irritating. It’s overstuffed with plonky, Fisher-Price percussion and sing-song melodies that occasionally devolve into affected, playground-chant refrains. Longtime readers will know my tolerance for this particular style is quite low, and nothing else about Boom convinces me to push through.
This is too bad, because Rocket Punch haven’t received the support they deserve. Being saddled with a song like this isn’t a great sign for the future, despite having quite a few highlights in their back catalogue. Given Woollim’s current circumstances, I’m not sure where they go from here. Hopefully all involved can turn the ship around and find the track that ultimately breaks them through to the public.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
