REVIEW | Jeon Somi Plays Make-Believe in “Dumb Dumb”

Release date: August 2, 2021
Total runtime: 2:29

Recommended for: Fans of whistling!
Not recommended for: Those who don’t like sharp transitions.

Jeon Somi is back after more than a year away with her new single “Dumb Dumb”. The wait for the release, and the length of the comeback itself, is not surprising at all considering the label that she is under.

Dumb Dumb Review:

The song starts off with simple piano chords that builds up to a heavy beat drop. It’s not a smooth transition, but the rest of the song helps keep it together. The song finishes off with an explosive chorus which sounds satisfying for the direction of the song.

The whistling that highlights the beginning of the chorus is very catchy but smooth. The song is nice and calm in most parts of the song which is a nice balance between easy listening and wanting to dance.

Somi’s whisper/sing method in the song isn’t bad at all, but her rapping still needs some work.

Can’t help but notice though, that the whistling melody sounds very similar to Pop Evil’s “Be Legendary” vocal melody. Hmm…

The dance is lackluster. The choreography seems to be going more for simplicity and “point” than difficulty and performance.

The main concern is all of the similarities the release shares with Rosé and Jennie. Her hair was bleached the same colour as Rosé, her dieting and weight-loss draws parallels to Rosé’s tiny waistline; even Somi’s single cover is a collage of herself like Rosé’s -R- release.

Then, there’s also the scene of a room full of graffiti with Somi wearing wings which is reminiscent of Jennie’s Solo car ride with the graffiti covered wall behind her.

I’ve said before, in my previous article found here, no one owns a concept. But seeing all of the same things thrown together into one package at the same time is hard to ignore. It’s alarming.

Either they have one stylist and designer who insists on giving everyone the same look, cover design, and set design, or something much more shady is going on. Hmm…

On a brighter note, the video is fun and cute and meshes with the song well. Despite drawing comparisons to other projects, Somi actually showcases her personality in the song and shines through.

The music video is colourful, enjoyable, and perfect for summer days and nights.

It looks like the company pulled out all the stops, including fashion and animation, to lift up Somi’s comeback. Does it make up for everything else they’ve done wrong in mis-managing Somi’s career? You be the judge of that.

Meanwhile, you can keep jamming to the song ‘til you’re done done.