As we get closer to my monthly round-up for January, I’m desperate for singles to choose as part of my “top three.” For the second month in a row, I’ve got nothing but placeholders so far. The brief music video teaser for Korean-Thai group THE7’s debut seemed promising. A bright, synth-packed funk instrumental? Yes, please! Never mind that the song may not technically be “K-pop.” At this point, I’ll take what I can get!

Get Loose is an interesting case. All the right ingredients are here, but the song isn’t hitting me the way I’d hope. Despite the bounding production and upbeat energy, there’s a sense of amateur trend-following that prevents the track from feeling fresh and exciting. The English-language lyrics don’t help. At best, they’re hopelessly generic. At worst, they’re cringey and distracting. Toss in some irritating vocal inflections during the chorus and you’ve got a song that seems intent on sabotaging itself at every turn.

Performance aside, this style of production will always appeal to me. Purely as an instrumental, Get Loose packs an enjoyable punch. It has a welcome fullness that makes for an impressive, larger-than-life sound. It slavishly follows a specific K-pop template, but at least it’s an enjoyable one. Moments of vocal firepower offer a glimpse at the group’s talent and make all the “dumbi dumbi dadi do-ing” of the chorus feel even sillier. I can see a future where THE7 create great music, but at this point there are still a few kinks to work out.

Hooks7
Production9
Longevity8
Bias8
RATING8

Grade: B-

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