Here are my credentials (again): It’s hard to be a k-pop fan and not know of IZ*ONE, so of course I’ve heard a decent amount of their songs. I also know a lot of their members because, as mentioned, many of them are now soloists or in different groups. I’ve covered IVE (see here), Le Sserafim (see here), and Yena (see here), but I thought that coming up on this anniversary was a great time to do the full group.

(Part One)

Album #1: BLOOM*IZ

Fiesta is the first of IZ*ONE’s Korean singles to have the unique, quirky sound of their Japanese releases, which is great to see. It sets itself apart with that distinctive instrumental, quirky and suitably bubbly from the start, before everything explodes in the hook, finally creating a chorus that lives up to its build-up. It’s absolutely an improvement, and hopefully a marker of more like this to come.

From the album, I enjoyed the full-speed-ahead chorus of Eyes and the gentle vocals of You & I, but my hidden gem was Ayayaya, with its twinkling beat and Latin Pop influences. I understand that they wanted to have at least one full album, but I think that the length leads to its detriment; it’s a very same-y LP, and not much stands out.

EP #6: Oneiric Diary

While Sukito Iwasetai is my favorite Japanese single, Secret Story Of The Swan’s held my top spot for the Korean singles for as long as I can remember. It takes the good of their past hits: the great build and payoff  of Fiesta, the elegance of Violeta and Vampire, and the off-kilter sound of Sukito Iwasetai, and blends it with a thundering EDM beat. I didn’t even mind the raps! The song never slows down to catch its breath, but it doesn’t feel too packed either. It’s a triumph, absolutely, and by the time the post-chorus kicks in, it’s impossible to not be swept along.

From the EP, I enjoyed the classical hints in Welcome, and the synthy Merry-Go-Round with its backing strings.

Album #2: Twelve

Beware is IZ*ONE’s last Japanese single, and the head of their repackage album. After the great Secret Story Of The Swan, I was hoping for something just as sweeping and powerful, but instead it’s just kind of alright. It didn’t really stand out from their other Japanese singles, or from the Korean ones for that matter. I liked its dance-floor beat, but I wished it was taken farther, and wasn’t a fan of the oppressive cutesiness, which doesn’t seem to fit with the more elegant sound they’re known for.

I didn’t have a hidden gem from the album, since it mainly features past Japanese releases.

EP #7: One-reeler / Act IV

Panorama was IZ*ONE’s official last song, and apparently was buried so deeply in my brain that the second the chorus started, a sleeper agent was activated and I began to sing along from memory. It’s one of their better singles, based around an interesting hook that’s both an anti-drop and not an anti-drop; the instrumental pulls back to draw you in before sprinting ahead again for the central hook of the chorus. I still haven’t decided if I like it, but it’s definitely unique. Overall, it feels more like a performance than a song made to stand on its own, and that’s a pretty good summary for the whole of their work too. If I were to choose a song that encapsulates them, I’d pick this one.

From the EP, I enjoyed the peppy, fast-paced Mise-en-Scene and the minimalistic Sequence.

Single #1: D-D-Dance

D-D-Dance, due to release date, is actually IZ*ONE’s final song, though it’s often overshadowed by Panorama. And there’s good reason for that; there isn’t much about this track that really stands out from the rest of their singles, or even their b-sides. That’s not to say it’s “bad”; none of their music is bad. But it doesn’t make me want to keep listening, because all that’s good about the song has been done before, and better, even by IZ*ONE themselves.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I learned a lot about the members of IZ*ONE, some I already knew like Sakura or Wonyoung, but others I didn’t, like Nako or Hitomi. I normally watch an interview or two, but since they disbanded a few years ago now, I couldn’t find one and went with fan-made videos instead. They were sweet, and it was nice (and odd) to see so many recognizable faces in one room, a lot younger and greener.

My Top 5 songs are Secret Story Of The Swan, Sukito Iwasetai, Fukigen Lucy, Panorama, and Vampire, with Airplane as an honorable mention. IZ*ONE gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I honestly feel bad saying this but a large part of the time, listening to their albums, I was…bored? As much as I rag on groups like aespa or NMIXX when their ideas don’t work out, they’re interesting and keep me focused. But here, after a while, the songs (with a few exceptions) all began to blend together and I had to go back through my own review to compile my favorites. Nothing really grabbed me, and nothing felt very unique, which is a shame. I’m glad the members of IZ*ONE all seem to have moved on to bigger and better things, and I look forward to covering more of their solo work.

Next time, we’re doing another soloist ranking. Tschüss!