Here’s a reminder of my credentials: LOONA first appeared on my radar thanks to my Orbit friend, who showed me Paint The Town a few years ago, and while I didn’t know what to think of it the first time, it grew on me, and it’s joined my regular workout playlist. I became a fan myself only a few months before they disbanded, due to their great performances on Queendom, and I joined the boycott from when Chuu was kicked out to the present (and may or may not have cried when they were all freed but that’s a story for another time). So, the women of LOONA have a special place in my heart, and obviously, I’m being more harsh than usual because this is a review, after all. 

(If any of you are wondering, don’t worry, I watched the boycott MV, no way am I giving BBC a goddamn dime.)

(Part One)(Part Two)

EP #1: ++ (Plus Plus)

Almost two years after Heejin’s solo dropped, we finally reach the first full-group song with Favorite. Favorite has a good build up, but ends up feeling like what it is: more like a b-side than a title track. As with a lot of k-pop b-sides, their vocals aren’t really showcased and the synths are doing the heavy lifting. I don’t mind the track, but I think that they should’ve gone with a stronger single for their first as twelve. I do like the interesting tongue trills in the choruses, though.

Hi High, the other title track from this first release, isn’t representative of the minimalist synth, but is of the other, bubblier, poppier side of their discography, drawing more from ⅓’s style and Love 4Eva. It’s best described as a serotonin boost, especially with that utter  gut punch of a high note courtesy of Chuu; overall, it’s not a fixture on my playlist but a welcome listen when it shows up once in a while.

Album #1: xx (Ex Ex)

Butterfly is…well, indescribable, but like the absolute best of LOONA’s work, its uplifting synth pop will take its time but eventually become an earworm you can’t help but return to. Written to inspire women around the world to accept themselves no matter the circumstances, it’s ethereal and balanced in the best way and quite possibly LOONA’s most magical song. Its choreography too is incredible, especially its slow cyclone movement, and truly showcases LOONA’s dancing skills in a way that few of their tracks do.

From the album, (xx), I enjoyed the harmonizing in Satellite and Where You At, the vocal slide in the chorus of Curiosity, the lovely acapella in Stylish, and the interesting instrumental of Nine. Overall, though, though this was a nice album, nothing really stood out to me.

EP #2: # (Hashtag)

But now comes So What and one of the biggest tonal shifts I’ve seen in a discography, arriving like a battering ram. So What has such excellent parts, but just doesn’t quite achieve its goals; it’s just such a drastic change in sound with a great pre-chorus and an especially excellent bridge, but the chorus is a let down of what would be so much more powerful if it lived up to it. I can’t lie though, So What gets me pumped, and I do like it. It lets the singers be angry, which K-pop should lean into more, and in the light of LOONA’s court battle (which they won!), the “Free” at the end never fails to make me emotional. 

From the EP, (#), I enjoyed the hints of doo-wop in Number 1 and the rushing piano combined with the sing-talk in Ding Ding Dong.

Album #2: 12:00 (Twelve O’Clock)

The tonal shift mentioned before continues into Why Not?, which is best defined by its EDM and hip hop genre. Why Not? itself is fine but far from their best; it has some of their worst habits (empty choruses, lalala’s, great build-ups with let downs, wasting their best voices, etc). It’s also catchy, with some strong parts like the pre-choruses and bridge, and I don’t hate it, but I know full well LOONA can do so much better.

From the album, 12:00, I enjoyed the light hook and spacey background of Universe and the build-up in Oops (though I hate that pay-off). I had an easy hidden gem for this one: Voice, which takes their normal restrained synth style and spins it into something richer, with a more defined refrain and a very catchy chorus. I wish they went in this direction more.

Album #3: & (And)

Paint The Town was actually the first song I heard of LOONA’s, and as I mentioned before, it did grow on me, despite not being my favorite. I like the powerful drums, traditional instruments, and background vocalizations, along with the building pre-choruses, but I’m not a fan of the anti-drop and especially not the cultural appropriation of Native Americans. I far prefer the wuxia inspired Queendom stage of it that made it more interesting and used their voices better.

From the album, (&), I actually had a few favorites. I enjoyed WOW’s golden-age broadway inspiration and the peppy R & B of Be Honest’s hook, but my hidden gem was actually the all-English Dance On My Own, which has a quiet power in its lines about not needing a partner in life and being happy alone. I don’t think enough songs talk about it, and I’m always happy to hear another.

EP #3: Flip That

After their dynamic performances on Queendom, I was expecting a bold return. But unfortunately, the next comeback Flip That is just so…nothing, and with it being their last title track, it’s a sad way to end things. It’s a beautiful video, and it’s good to see them smile so much, but I just don’t have much to say about it. I wish more of the great intro came into the song, because the way it is, it’s so forgettable that I almost forgot to include it.

From the EP, Flip That, I enjoyed the intro, The Journey, as mentioned, but also Pale Blue Dot, which takes the understated soft pop of many of LOONA’s b-sides and turns it into an encouraging track with a lot of heart behind it.

Verdict: TL;DR

After revisiting LOONA’s performances on Queendom for this deep dive, I noticed something: LOONA feels more like SNH48, a dance troupe that sings, than a K-pop group of singers who dance. With the exceptions of a few (Chuu, Kim Lip, Haseul, and Heejin), a lot of their voices don’t feel distinct. That’s not to say that they’re bad, obviously, but they’re fairly standard in the realm of K-pop. Chuu especially has a great voice but it’s very underutilized, which does make sense given that it’s a group of twelve. 

I’m glad I did this! Writing about LOONA is odd because it feels like writing about two totally different groups: the gentler, younger pre-debut years, and the louder, brasher girl-crush post-debut years, after Butterfly. I don’t quite know how to do a ranking. I did enjoy watching them as people in interviews and behind the scenes content, and I’m happier than ever that they’re away from BBC. But overall, their music doesn’t connect with me very deeply.

My top 5 songs are Heart Attack, Butterfly, New, Star, and Pale Blue Dot, with Eclipse as an honorable mention. Overall, LOONA gets an 8/10 from me, not dissimilar to what I gave (G)I-DLE in my first review of them. But where (G)I-DLE takes risks that either really pay off or really don’t, much of LOONA’s music takes the safe, expected route, and it all ends up in the middle—good but not fantastic. A lot of this, I think, can be attributed to the fact that, when under Blockberry, LOONA didn’t get to have much input in the creative process. I hope that wherever the girls’ careers take them, they’ll get a chance to be more involved, and I look forward to supporting ARTMS, Loosemble, Chuu, Haseul, and Yves!

So, see you next time for a boy group! Tschüss!

(Part One)(Part Two)