VAV (which stands for Very Awesome Voice) is a part of the 3rd generation, debuting in 2016. They’ve had a total of ten members throughout their career: Ace, Jacob, Lou, Ziu, St. Van, Ayno, Xiao, Baron, Zehan, and Gyeoul, though the last four have left. 

Here are my credentials: Here are my credentials: yeah, I have nothing. I haven’t heard a single song, I don’t know any of the members, and I have no clue what their core sound is. But that’s pretty exciting, in a way; maybe I’ll find a brand new group to enjoy.

Single #1: Under The Moonlight

As mentioned, I didn’t know what to expect, so Under The Moonlight’s darkness and vampiric vibes had me intrigued. I was worried they would do the stereotypical 4th-gen-boy-group anti-drop, but they didn’t, and the pulsing chorus was actually my favorite part, especially the final one and its climactic high note. However, though I like many of the song’s parts, something about it just doesn’t feel like it comes together. It’s choppy, and not in an intentional way. But it’s pretty solid otherwise.

From the single, I preferred the laid-back, somewhat melancholy Good Bye, which gave me a chance to appreciate their voices, and the electric guitar driven Long Journey.

Single #2: Brotherhood

Brotherhood goes in the direction I was assuming it would, being very much a SHINHWA / early-BTS-like track, taking from African-American hip-hop culture and its lyrics about resistance. It’s definitely less outward cultural appropriation than those songs, which I appreciate, but having watched the inspirations, it’s not as strong in message or as strikingly unique. The title card stating that it was “2024”, is pretty hilarious in hindsight, given that this is supposed to be post-apocalyptic, so kudos for giving me a chuckle, but besides that I don’t think that this one’s for me.

Single #3: No Doubt

No Doubt is, thankfully, a return to the darkly magical vibes of Under The Moonlight, which feels more honest. Or maybe I just prefer it. With a minimalistic production led by piano and a slight electro beat, it doesn’t have many peaks or valleys, just going along at a steady pace throughout, which unfortunately means that no part really stands out despite the song as a whole being alright. The ballet in the MV was lovely though, I’ll give it that.

Album #1: Spotlight

Gorgeous goes for a spunkier, brighter energy that VAV haven’t done before, and it had me nodding along right from the first verse. I especially liked how sprawling the chorus is, doing a great job of improving on its build-up with a boisterous sound and some catchy vocalizing. The bridge too is strong, adding a brassier element into the sound that really adds to the whole production. This is definitely my favorite title so far, so let’s hope they keep this up!

From the LP, Spotlight, I enjoyed the restrained dance-floor synths of Spotlight, the surf-rock guitar intro of Give It To Me (though the lyrics are…not it), the sunny guitar and fun-loving feeling of ABC, and the jazzy hints in Dance With Me. Overall, I really liked it.

EP #1: Thrilla Killa

Thrilla Killa, much to my surprise, doesn’t follow in the footsteps of Brotherhood, instead being more like a matured (at least in terms of how much skin they’re showing), more confident version of Gorgeous, with a synthier production The chorus draws from disco in the best way, feeling grand and important with how expansive it is. I liked the distortion and pull-back of instrumental in the bridge just before the last moments too. I do have my issues with the title, though. I know that AAVE misuse is normal in k-pop, so I won’t harp on it too much, but I felt that it was worth mentioning.

From the EP, Thrilla Killa, I enjoyed the spacey electro sound of Touch You, and the Latin Pop influences of Señorita.

EP #2: Poison

Poison definitely has one of the more unique openings I’ve seen in a k-pop music video, with a game of hide-and-seek and counting to seven in Spanish, but I digress. It’s certainly on the angstier side, unsurprisingly for a song called Poison, but while I like the more melodic moments and the great vocalizing throughout, I’m not a fan of the post-chorus or the faster-paced rapping, because neither of them seem to fit with the track.

From the EP, I enjoyed the rising tension in 119’s pre-choruses and the vogueing breakdown in Runway.

EP #3: Made For Two

Made For Two is certainly a departure from the VAV I’ve seen in the last few comebacks, going for a New Jeans-esque gentle, sunny minimalism while ruminating on love. It does innovate on the formula a bit, with some background percussion, harder-hitting raps, and hints of strings in a couple places. But, while it’s nice to listen to and the members do a good job with the vocals, this one just didn’t grab me for some reason.

From the EP, I enjoyed the triumphant, summery energy and tropical influences of Into You (absolutely my hidden gem), and the driving beat of Moto.

EP #4: Subconscious

Designer is their most recent comeback, from just a few months ago at time of writing, and I was very excited when it started because it reminded me of Gorgeous. The build-up into the chorus is very strong and feels monumental…and then the mostly English chorus just doesn’t live up to those expectations. Also, the dissonance of having a love song playing while the music video seems to be about some kind of organized crime is…interesting, to say the least.

From the EP, Subconscious, I enjoyed the pulsing beat and guitars of Call U Mine, and the catchy percussion of By My Side.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I learned a lot about VAV as people, gained an appreciation for their voices, and added a few nice b-sides to my rotation. Also, I saw this absolutely adorable video of them with a little fangirl (little as in eight, maybe), and it made me smile. Though their sound was mostly not for me, I still feel like this was worthwhile.

My Top 5 songs are Gorgeous, Thrilla Killa, ABC, Into You, and Long Journey, with Call U Mine as an honorable mention. VAV gets a 7.5 out of 10 from me. It just doesn’t feel like they have any kind of clear identity or something that ties their work together beyond the fact that they’re singing it. They have some songs that I like, and even a few that I really like, but nothing that feels completely unique or innovative, which is a shame because they’re clearly very talented and excel at several different styles.

Next time, we’re back with a girl group for a special review. Tschüss!