BTS’s J-Hope is rapidly making up for misplaced time — not that there weren’t tasks and songs launched throughout his navy enlistment as properly. Simply two weeks after his duet with R&B crooner Miguel, he’s again with solo single Mona Lisa. This time the music is a little more upbeat and groovy, however the tune feels simply as slight as its predecessor.
Humorous sufficient, Mona Lisa sounds extra prefer it might have been launched pre-BTS-enlistment than put up. From the lure percussion to the repetitive hooks to the just-over-two-minutes operating time, a lot about this transports us proper again to 2019-2020. This high quality makes Mona Lisa really feel extra like an appetizer than a full-on assertion. Ambition is low, the tendencies are trending and the flatness of the manufacturing appears designed for looped play on streaming providers. If that is the standards we’re holding the monitor in opposition to, I suppose you possibly can say it checks all of the containers. Nonetheless, nothing right here feels contemporary or thrilling in any method.
J-Hope’s voice is slurred with results, at occasions accentuating its texture however extra usually flattening particular person character. The verses and refrain seep collectively, following an identical rhythmic sample and retaining the power reasonably monotonous all through. With a contrasting hook (perhaps Miguel ought to have been featured on this monitor as an alternative?), we’d have a satisfying sluggish jam on our arms. Because it stands, that is one other underwhelming entry in J-Hope’s latest catalog. I hope we’re constructing as much as one thing extra dynamic sooner or later.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
Grade: D+
