CRAVITY was formed by Starship Entertainment (the home of Monsta X, WJSN, and IVE) in 2020, right in the middle of the 4th Gen. They have nine members: Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Serim, Minhee, Taeyoung, Hyeongjun, and Seongmin, and according to their Wiki, their name is a combination of the words Creativity and Gravity, because…this is kpop, of course it is.

Here are my credentials: Like one and a half? One and a third? (How are credentials measured here? I’ll get back to you on that.) So, I know a few songs by Cravity, mostly their newer ones and a couple scattered b-sides recommended by friends and acquaintances, but I don’t think I’ve listened to a full EP, much less an album from them. I also don’t know much about them as people.

EP #1: Hideout; Remember Who We Are

Break All The Rules is…not the bombastic opening I was expecting, though it’s honestly much more engaging. The song in general wasn’t what I was expecting either, adhering to some 4th gen boy group tropes—the unnecessary rap verse, the non-melodic post-chorus, the trap breakdown before the final chorus—but to its credit, it really makes them its own. I also really liked the MV’s use of color, especially the shades of yellows, purples, and blues, setting them apart visually as well as sonically from a lot of their peers. But while there’s a bunch of parts I like, I don’t know how I feel about the track as a whole. I think I like the ideas better than their combined execution, but it has my respect for doing something different. Overall, it falls into the “not quite” category for me.

From the EP, I enjoyed the building pre-chorus of Jumper, the soothing beachside feel of Stay, and the spacey sound of Star (pun very much intended). My hidden gem was Top Of The Chain, with its straight-shooting beat and its pitch-perfect power vocals.

EP #2: Hideout; The New Day We Step Into

As is apt for a song called Flame, CRAVITY’s next single begins with the eerie sound of crackling fire, and an orange-hued music video that promises that something will soon be lit ablaze. At least, hopefully. I like the pre-chorus’ build with its great backing vocals, and the payoff was again better than I was expecting. I’m not sure which members sang the chorus’ main hook—-I think it was Minhee and Wonjin—-but I really loved the tenor of their voices, the slight shake mixed with the bleed of power is a very difficult thing to get right.Longtime readers will know that I’m a sucker for harmonies, and this song has that in spades, not saving them for just the final chorus in the way that a lot of kpop singles do. The bridge was shockingly light, too, even with its rap, which of course I prefer. I liked this more as a whole than Break All The Rules, and I hope the same holds true for their next few singles.

From the EP, while I enjoyed the power notes of Ohh Ahh and the relaxed feel of Breathing, my hidden gem was Believer, with that percussive hook, great payoff, and near-acapella in the build. I could totally see a rock remix being a real head-banger.

EP #3: Hideout; Be Our Voice

My first thought upon the MV for My Turn starting was “Ah, here is it, the boy group music (TM) I’ve been dreading”. I was wincing in anticipation by the time we got to the first verse, and unfortunately, the chorus proved me right. There’s the “vroom vroom” and the “SKRRT” that prompted at least one forehead slap at my desk, the random English phrases thrown in that make me wince, you get the picture. And of course no song like this is complete without a pretty good pre-chorus that fools you into thinking maybe this time will be different, maybe—- Nope. Give it up girl. I exaggerate, of course; besides the chorus, the song’s really not that bad. As mentioned, its pre-chorus is pretty good, and its bridge is my favorite of the singles so far. But it sacrifices all that to chase a trend and it’s just so frustrating. Come on guys, we were doing so well!

From the EP, though I enjoyed the catchy synths of Dangerous, I didn’t have a hidden gem. I do have a funny story though. I was convinced for half of the song “Mammoth” that they were saying “Vamos”, which is a bit embarrassing on my part. And then I heard “Tension like a mammoth” and was just very confused. Thus prompted a lot of confused googling and subsequent dying of laughter. Yup, that’s the kind of in-depth analysis you get over here at “Anna’s ramblings during bouts of insomnia: THE BLOG” Anyway, moving on.

Album #1: The Awakening; Written In The Stars

Gas Pedal starts with a trap beat and a sing-talk heavy first verse pretty similar to My Turn, so I admit I didn’t have very high expectations. I can honestly say it wasn’t what I expected exactly—the chorus isn’t your typical sing-talk, more of a mix between whispered R & B and light hip-hop—-but I still wasn’t a fan. That hook, it drives me crazy; it sounds like someone mid-rant about their car yelling “GAS PEDAL GAS PEDAL”. And we started off so strong, damn it, what are we doing here, boys? Again we have a bridge that’s too good for the song; it’s ethereal yet strong and has a great build too. I feel like I have a friend with a boyfriend who’s not good enough for her; get yourself a better song, girl!

From the album, the first of a two-parter, I enjoyed the excellent build and sprawling chorus of Veni Vidi Vici, the minimalistic hook of Grand Prix, and the gentler vocals of Go Go. I didn’t have a hidden gem from this one either.

Album #1.5: Liberty; In Our Cosmos

After an equal amount of songs that I liked and didn’t, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Adrenaline. But I’m happy to report that it manages to blend the good parts from previous songs: the lighter synths and solid choruses of Break All The Rules and Flame, and the edge of hip-hop and strong bridge of My Turn, alongside a real fun-loving feel that’s a great fit. It proves a winning combo, if not the most unique one. It’s odd to call it a very BoyNextDoor song, since this was years before they debuted, but I feel like it has a similar down-to-earth, youthful, energetic vibe to a lot of their hits. It’s both a relief and a real delight to listen to, and I’m hopeful that this is the start of an upward trajectory in their music again.

From the album, I enjoyed the final chorus / outro of Flip The Frame and the easygoing synths of Maybe Baby, but again I didn’t have a hidden gem.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2! Tschüss!