Song Review: Wonwoo x Mingyu (Seventeen) – Bittersweet (ft. Lee Hi)

Prior to the release of their new mini album next month, the members of Seventeen have embarked upon several offshoot projects. In April, Hoshi and The8 each delivered a solo track. Now, members Wonwoo and Mingyu have teamed up with Lee Hi for the release of Bittersweet. But while the song boasts a powerhouse line-up, its ambitions are relatively small.

In my mind, I consider a track like this to be a ‘minor’ release. This doesn’t have anything to do with minor versus major key. I just use this word to describe the level at which a song is targeting. Bittersweet isn’t meant to be a big, bombastic comeback, so when I rate it on the lower side, that doesn’t mean it’s “bad” or fails to obtain its objective. For me, there’s just a limit to how high I could score a song of this nature.

So, forgive me if my review is as subdued as Bittersweet itself. This is a lovely song that reinvents two of Seventeen’s rappers as vocalists. Bringing Lee Hi in for guest vocals gives the track added indie cred, but it’s a testament to Wonwoo and Mingyu’s skills that she doesn’t overshadow them. All three performers operate in moody territory, imbuing Bittersweet with plenty of atmosphere. Much of the melody is phrased like you’d expect from a rap song, but I love that they chose to sing it instead. The various textures of their voices blend well with the simple, guitar-led instrumental. And at just under three minutes, the track fades out before becoming too monotonous. I rarely choose to listen to songs of this style on their own, but there’s no doubt that Bittersweet is a successful effort.

Hooks 7 Production 8 Longevity 8 Bias 7 RATING 7.5 Original Article