Track Spotlight – SHOCK [ALL(H)OURS]

By deforestedmusic on 18 Jul 2024

Such a stunner.

Let's see what we have here!

Welcome back, everyone! After a much-needed hiatus from undergrad chaos, I'm thrilled to dive back into music reviews. My last review was also on ALL(H)OURS, and their debut truly shook me. With "SHOCK," they've confirmed they're a force to be reckoned with.

SHOCK is something that longtime readers of this blog would recognize I applaud, remember my reaction to TFN's Asurabalbalta? I got some flak for that—still I stand by those statements when it first released it was something interesting for this specific sound of boy group. Even if I eventually backtracked, I still saw potential for the future sound of grunge. What exactly is the future sound of grunge? Honestly, if you asked me that same question in 2021 I wouldn't have the answers for it, guess what though we were eventually gonna find in three years later.

Soon enough, I may be able to characterize the downfall of the "neosound" in favor of "alley commerce 2000s" I will tell you that if I get around to it. Anyway, 2024 seems to be a paradigm shift in the overall musical direction of Korean idol music; pots and pats get rust so its time to switch to plastic. It is honestly so amazing to me that just 2 years ago in 2022, I was dooming on the end of melody in K-pop. But now? Melodies shape the trend, albeit of course with shorter lengths than what it was 5 years ago.

SHOCK is exactly the song I have been praying for ATEEZ or Stray Kids to release — for now S-CLASS and HALAZIA fit the bill but they won't last that long. Penned by the minds of GOTCHA (just without Alawn), the record continues its streak in magnificent production, consistent hooks, overflowing melody, and all out power. SHOCK is in the realm of MIROH, Wonderland, Superhuman—towering, hefty, muscular. It is something the industry forgot when they preferred to write pretentious chants than create a cultural anthem.

I am a fan of hip-hop that slaps the hell out of your soul. I love it when bragaddocio is met with kickass ear-destructive hooks with an actual electrifying post-chorus. SHOCK is the emblematic depiction of traditional Korean boy group grunge. The type that got me to BTS, B.A.P, EXO, HISTORY, VIXX, and numerous pre-3rd generation acts. The use of phonk trailblazes anything we have heard in the scene since MIROH and Side Effects. The song reminds me of the idealisms and passion A.C.E brought to the stage with Favorite Boys and ONF's New World. We need more of this, and let's all dispose noise.

For those saying that the song is somehow Stray Kids, NCT, and ATEEZ at the moment—I'm sorry to say but those acts (and no offense to them personally, this is a technical review of the direction their A&R and their producers have taken post-2020) have completely lost innovating and have succumbed to TikTok shorts. Thankfully, 2024 might actually save NCT's image because of WISH and well I do hope Stray Kids and ATEEZ get back to producing songs for the fun of it without pressure of the trends.

I have no more additional comments, honestly 2024 has been good to music and we have been blessed with the continous riddance of the neosound in favor of "alleyway commerce 2000s". Hits like this redefine generics, yes they are traditionally K-pop, and we have to admit it we lost that. Corporations dictate what the audience wants, but the audience in metamodernity subvert those commodities into their own. Capital can't easily dictate fandoms. SHOCK is a blessing, ALL(H)OURS need to continue this stuff, because it is the saving grace of music.

Anyway, re-listening to Asurabalbalta now in 2024, I was right when I rated it 8/10 and I kind of regret backtracking my rating of it now as 6.75 especially that was the same year NCT released Sticker, and almost all rookies copied that annoying neosound template.