Song Review: BLANK2Y – Thumbs Up

We have another debut in 2022 on hand as BLANK2Y gives a thumbs up to the K-pop industry. They are the first idol group to come from the newly established Keystone Entertainment. (Side note: it always surprises me when new agencies debut with groups with so many members. Isn’t that super expensive ??). Some of the guys come from the disbanded groups 1THE9 (check out the mega-bopp Bad guybtw) and ENOi, together with survival series such as Prepare 101, ASHORE and Wild Idol. It’s a wealth of pedigree. So do Thumbs up leave a memorable mark?

I wish I could say it did! We have had so many rookie groups so far this year, but very few have stood out in style. Thumbs up has some good instincts, but they are undercut by its desire to fit into the crowd. The first thirty seconds of the song tell you everything. Hmmm … where have we heard this clattering synth sound before? Could it be … in approx million other recent boy band songs?

Fortunately, Thumbs up improves as we move into the verses. The beat is great and the boys deliver a convincing performance that drives the energy home. The pre-chorus is even better and builds expectation without slowing down or increasing momentum. However, Thumbs up‘s chorus is bound to polarize. I think it’s pretty disgusting, but if you like disgusting, you’ll probably fall in love. The melody feels like nursery rhyme to me as the familiar synth-drop returns with full force. The song follows Slavic K-pop tropes by moving towards a last minute bluster-a-thon, but there is some potential here. BLANK2Y just need to find their own perspective.