CURRENT #20: NUEST- I'M IN TROUBLE

Released: May 11th, 2020

Although I may be a little late to the NUEST party, I was actively staying in touch back when NUEST debuted in March of 2012. I remember that time when NUEST and newly-debuted group B.A.P immediately gained attention for their fresh new image and contrasting musical styles, with NUEST gaining traction for the sleek electronic sound in their debut single Face. A lot of things have changed in 8 years since, and so has NUEST's music it seems. I'm in Trouble doesn't have any resemblance at all to their debut days, and after hearing the track, this could be a fatal mistake.

I'm in Trouble goes towards a funk-ingested direction with rock influences, most notably due to the bass guitar that is prevalent throughout. The guitar is both the song's greatest strength and weakness as it strikes at times when it needs to as well as times where it shouldn't. The first thing to point out is that I'm in Trouble has absolutely no "it" factor, because of the lack of identity in the chorus compared to the somewhat-promising verses; the chorus simply fails to match up to the expectations that the first verse laid out on the floor. The verse starts out basic with a quite-unappealing guitar solo, but the pace later starts to shift a little faster with a change in beat and the use of a synthesizer. The change still feels quite minimal, but at least it properly welcomes the chorus. Unfortunately the chorus falls flat on its face, failing to continue where the verse left off. Instead of changing up the sound again and progressing to a climax, the chorus re-uses the same elements from the verses, both in terms of musicality and rhythm. My biggest concern though is the lack of a melody to follow along, where the continuous repetition of "Oh I'm in Trouble" simply does not cut it. A chord progression in that loop would have more than make up for the lack of depth, but only the guitar comes back in to play and nothing else. Even the beat doesn't feel as loud or inspiring compared to that from the verses. The post-chorus finally shows some resilience, but by then it is too late, as the lack of taste in the chorus is already enough to expect the worst permanently.

For a title track, I'm in Trouble is an utter failure in many ways. Never in the song did I ever feel a jolt of impulse going through me; there's just no ingenuity in the instrumental, and there is no effort at all in the composition. The end result is a song that is better off to be forgotten for many many time periods to come. The significant flaws of I'm in Trouble may have signaled the end of something for NUEST, who was one of the pioneers of the 3rd generation, as the time period continues to tick.

RATING: 6.7/10