CURRENT #7: GOT7- NOT BY THE MOON

Released: April 20th, 2020

I've always thought that Got7 and JYP emphasizes stage performance and choreography as their number one priority whenever their comebacks are planned. Much of this statement can be reflected in the quality of the songs they've released so far. I am by no means an expert in choreo, but the jaw-dropping performances they've given with the hard-hitting beats of Fly, Hard Carry, Never Ever, Lullaby, and all the way to Eclipse overshadows the lack of ingenuity and oomph in many of these songs. It may be that songs that are composed with a stellar choreography in mind rarely ever turn out to sound good, mainly because there is less of a focus on the vocals and correspondingly song structure. I was hoping that Not By the Moon would change this pattern, but sadly it seems as if Got7 has not learned from their past mistakes at all.

Now if Got7 believes they can continue to gain popularity and stardom with this kind of direction, then by all means, they've succeeded. However, I am only abiding with what I hear in this song like always. The best word to describe this song is monotonic; there is no creativity in the background, not even a single hook to mesmerize us in. The melody in the verse is stagnant and you can barely hear the chord progression in the bass, it needs to be louder. We finally get some change in the pre-chorus as the tempo starts to pick up, but there is still a lot of elements missing. It wouldn't have hurted at all to make the pre-chorus longer and add a second vocalist to repeat the first part and extend the build-up even more, or make the sound effects louder. Then we get to the chorus, where it's simply follows the same structure as the verse. The high notes are certainly welcomed, but there is no chord progression with those notes to be heard that could elevate the melody to a whole another level. The bass is still faint here, and it makes it really hard to hear a direction or something to push the melody forward. The only good part in this song is the bridge, where we hear some electro-synths in the background, followed by a climax that actually sounds like a proper climax with a couple of high notes sung. If any of these elements were introduced in the pre-chorus or in the second verse, it certainly would have been a game-changer.

I am starting to wonder just how much attention GOT7 still gets from the entire JYP management, especially with the rising popularity of ITZY and Stray Kids, and of course the current undisputed queens of K-Pop TWICE. I am not asking for improved vocal arrangements, but rather something that is different from what they usually do, yet still puts on a GOT7 twist to it. There was a lot of potential in my opinion with You Calling My Name, but it seems like JYP disagrees with that. GOT7 can continue to put out the sickest choreography out there, but in the end I just want a song that gets me all in my feels and forget everything else that is out there.

RATING: 6.1/10