When SixTONES and Snow Man debuted in January 2020, I was pretty convinced SixTONES would be my group of choice. After all, Imitation Rain was a downright legendary debut. Two years later and I’m a Snow Man mega-fan, while SixTONES’ output feels much more hit and miss. It’s a personal taste thing, but I’m also a bit confused where Johnny’s is taking this group. Their past few promoted singles feel aimed toward J-pop’s trendy alt-rock sounds. This makes sense commercially, but there’s already a glut of these styles to be found elsewhere. I’d rather hear SixTONES pursue the grittier rock of their debut year.
Rosy does double duty as promo for the group’s second full-length album and the Japanese release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s an odd choice for both. The song moves along at a clip, its mile-a-minute phrasing often more spoken-word than vocal or rap. This is positioned over a brisk, jazzy instrumental that twists their rock sound in a lighter direction. In general, I’m too fond of this style. But, I appreciate the skill it takes to craft something so high-speed.
Rosy’s chorus is equally ferocious in its velocity, forging the quick phrasing of the verses into a catchier melody. It’s quite pleasant, but gets a bit repetitive as the song wears on. SixTONES inject the track with plenty of character, though there are limited avenues to fully display their skill. It’s an odd curiosity of a track that banks on the listener’s willingness to dive into its aural maelstrom and invest in the details. I can see it growing more addictive with time.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
