About two months since the release of “That Day”, the beautiful ladies of Lovelyz are back yet again with their signature refreshing sound. Albeit a little unfortunate with Jin’s absence due to sickness recovery, the remaining seven will surely make the number more than enough for a summer blast. The special single is titled “Wag-zak” and is named after the sound of biting something crunchy; let’s see if this new song will capture the ‘crunch’ of our ears.
Release Date: June 30th, 2018
Tracklist:
- Wag-zak
Total Runtime: 00:03:35
Recommended for: Lovelinus (Lovelyz fans), people who are searching for their summer escapade and those who warrant something refreshing.
Not Recommended for: People who are opposite of the above.
Track Review: Wag-zak
Unlike Lovelyz’ first single album “Lovelinus” which had three songs, this special single only contained one song. To maximize and provide a more in-depth review of “Wag-zak”, I will be dividing the song into different aspects (the concept, the song, the music video, the choreography, and the overall impression) and reviewing it by those aspects respectively.
The concept. It may be a rainy or cold season in some other countries, but in South Korea, it’s already the time to bathe under the sun. With that being said, the concept Lovelyz went for this time is a concept fitting for the season. Tracing back the group’s discography and past comebacks, this will be the first time for them to release a song along with the summer concept. They embodied how summer is the time to go out on vacations, play with friends, swarm the beaches, and make good memories.
The song. “Wag-zak” is a song of pure refreshment; however, it’s ironic because it goes nowhere near original. I guess it is the drawback of targeting a song to fit the current season, limiting the song to be produced along the lines of tropical music. Lovelyz is not necessarily known for originality nor unconventional music, and “Wag-zak” not being original affects the overall impression with little to no relevance.
The song starts with the typical instrumental you may encounter with tropical dance songs but in a low-key manner. The verse begins slow and as the song progresses, it catches the pace up to the pre-chorus until it bursts into the fun and upbeat chorus. After the chorus is a dance break instrumental followed by another verse. The structure of the song is not different at all in comparison to their other songs. However, the slow verse, mid-tempo pre-chorus, and upbeat chorus format in their songs is getting quite overused by them already. I would like to see Lovelyz having a song that picks up a faster dynamic. The chorus is really catchy and is possibly the best part of the song.
Lovelyz is known for their vocals and with one of the main vocal’s, Jin’s, absence, the group can pretty much handle the vocal department by themselves, with the presence of members Kei, Sujeong, and Babysoul. Kei and Sujeong are the more known members of Lovelyz so in their songs, those two members tend to have the most number of lines. Babysoul on the other hand is also a capable vocalist but is heavily underutilized, so it’s a really refreshing feat for her to do the adlibs and perform a high note.
The music video. The music video doesn’t have a definite plot or story, it just shows the seven girls having fun in their summer escapade. The colors that are prominently seen are refreshing colors but mostly white and blue. This aesthetic is beautiful and pleasing to the eyes. Nothing much can be said about the MV, it’s just that it’s my most favorite Lovelyz music video now.
The choreography. You can always trust Woollim artists’ performances, that’s a fact. The dance routine for “Wag-zak” may seem simple and easy but it’s actually complex. The dance is also made to fit the concept as seen in certain parts like the one where they do the gesture of swimming.
One great strength in Lovelyz’ dances is that they utilize their number to create pretty transitions and beautiful effects in their dancing. It also helps that every member in the group is a superb dancer without a single one sticking out like a sore thumb. Lovelyz dances energetically and gracefully so their performances in music shows are always a beautiful sight.
The overall impression. “Wag-zak” despite its peculiar name is not that peculiar at all. It successfully captured the charm of summer and depicted the story of having fun without actually having a storyline.
