Welcome back everyone, today's review will be on the very recently released title track off of Rocket Punch's new mini album Red Punch. Red Punch was released on the 10th of February 2020 and consists of 7 unique and fun tracks. The title track of the album is called BOUNCY and this is the song featured in today's review. BOUNCY is Rocket Punch's first comeback after their smash hit debut with the song BIM BAM BUM. On debut Rocket Punch even managed to be nominated for a music show trophy which shows us that for a group only having debuted in 2019 they already have a significant and enthusiastic fanbase. Personally I was very much looking forward to the release of BOUNCY and purposefully didn't watch any teasers surrounding this release because Woolim, the company behind Rocket Punch, have been known to essentially leak the song as teasers before the comeback even happens. This actually a pet peeve of mine and I am not sure why some companies do it but alas I managed to avoid any major spoilers and so thus this review will be based on both my first impressions of the song and how I feel about it after listening to it overnight. So let's get into it!
This review will be in the same format I have used in previous articles where I score the title track out of 5 main categories (Music video, Song, Concept, Style, and Dance) out of a total of 10 points. An overall score will then be tallied and given at the end with my final thoughts. To start of this review we'll take a look a the music video for BOUNCY.
Right out the gate we are immediately, and dare I say it, punched in the face with a smash of bright and vibrant colours reminiscent of their last music video but dialed up to 11. From the initial few seconds of the music video It was quick to gather the overall theme and concept Rocket Punch wanted to use for this concept; vibrant, youthful but with attitude. I think this was a smart decision of Woolim to go down this route because if you aren't already aware most of the members in this group are not only new on the Kpop scene but they're still quite young in comparison to some active girl groups. Rocket Punch's youngest member after all is only 14 years of age when member Sohee being only 16 herself. While I personally believe these girls are very young to be in the music industry, particularly the grueling and competitive one that is the Kpop scene, I do think Woolim has positioned the group well to reflect the average age of Rocket Punch and keep their concepts both young and fresh to match the groups vibrant image. The music video for BOUNCY is a testament to this fact with the overall colour palette of the music video being bright pops of colour with a focus on Red and Rainbow tones and textures. This makes for a very visually pleasing experience and one that matches the energy of the song. The director has done well in keeping the members highlighted in each frame as to not let the colourful set and stages dominate the music video, I appreciate how much focus is given to the members all throughout the video too. Limited visual effects were used in the music video most of which were used to cleverly transform small dance sequences into something a little more interesting and fitting of the concept ie. Juri's "love" arrow she shoots past the group. Not only did the graphical effect match the overall concept of the song but it was also incorporated into the choreography for BOUNCY which I thought was very clever and interesting. Graphical effects are also used in the form of large comic like captions throughout the music video to give emphasis to certain emotions and actions the members are portraying. Overall the effects are a positive addition to the video and don't negatively impact the viewing experience which is fantastic.
As a whole the production of the music video is quite high but not overly extravagant or expensive. I think Rocket Punch make good use of the sets available to them during this music video with the members style often complimenting or serving to contrast the stages used in the video. Each member looks fantastic this comeback with a particular focus given to the myriad of outfits given to the members. The first set of outfits we see on the members is part of a Versace collection and I am immediately reminded of a similar style of outfits used in the song Volume Up by 4Minute. Not only do the girls looks fantastic in their attire but the bright colours and patterns match the set and concept well. Another set of outfits included the classic Burberry tone and print. These outfits stood out more for me in that they contrasted well with more muted set used during the performance sequences in the video. They also more closely aligned with your typical girl crush look with brown and black tones throughout with black leather also making an appearance. Overall the 4 outfits used in the video all match the theme and concept of the song well while also complimenting the members appearance, well done! The members that stood out for me visually were members Sohee, Dahyun and Yeonhee. Member Sohee definitely had more of a presence in the music video for BOUNCY when compared to Rocket Punch's debut video. I very much appreciated getting to see a greater focus on her and the youngest member Dahyun. This appreciation is also felt in the song itself with member Sohee being a standout member in this title track.
Going into to BOUNCY I wasn't sure what to expect after their debut song BIM BAM BUM. I figured it would be an evolution of that song but still hold true to the concept and style Rocket Punch is building with their brand. On first listen I was pleasantly surprised that while they didn't directly follow on from the genre of BIM BAM BUM they kept the bright and energetic pacing. I wonder if anyone thought the same, but for me I felt like Rocket Punch's concept for BOUNCY felt similar to CLC's No but more fresh and suited for a younger target audience. Instead of an outright girl crush concept, like that used in CLC's No, the group has used what I would like to called a Bright Crush concept. This type of concept retains the overall sound and attitude of a girl crush song but filters it through a more youthful, vibrant and fun lense. While I think BOUNCY does have some of that attitude we've come to know and love from girl crush concepts they've really tried to make it their own and frame it within the signature style and theme behind Rocket Punch. For example, the cheerleader like chanting from Sohee and Yeonhee introduced in the early moments of the song really set up that this song is going to be both energetic and powerful. This is wonderfully contrasted with the first verse where we are introduced not only to the members more typical vocal style but a dirty dance beat filled with Electropop elements that match the duality of the song perfectly. This song goes harder than I was originally anticipating and I am totally on board with this new kind of sound from Rocket Punch.
Where the instrumental is used to the greatest effect however is in the chorus where in combination with the lyrics "BOUNCY BOUNCE Make it POP POP POP" the instrumental reflects the tone and energy given off by the members and perfectly match it with a bouncy and bright electronic beat. The chorus is definitely the highlight of the song and I really appreciate the attention to detail here to make the song and hook feel just as vibrant and alive as the video itself. The members themselves have also done a wonderful job in matching this concept vocally as well. Their youthful yet powerful voices very much compliment the overall vibe of the song and the girls really lend it their attitude and energy to push the song along. Vocally two members stood out for me in this comeback. It would be no surprise that member Suyun really took the vocal reigns of this song and made it her own. In previous Rocket Punch releases we already got to see Suyun display her vocal prowess but in BOUNCY she definitely took that time during hiatus to perfect her vocal technique and it shows in this song. Multiple ad libs and high notes from Suyun really give the latter half of the track that extra oomph to drive it home and I'm glad to see Woolim giving her the time to shine as a vocalist. The other member that stood out for me was Sohee. Not only was she given more singing sections when compared to BIM BAM BUM but her rap section following the bridge and her cheerleader like chanting really showed off her cute yet aggressive tone. I had to admit to my readers that I probably watched this section at least a 100 times while writing this review, I really love her energy and spark! If we bring our attention to the line distribution of the song we can see that while there is a greater level of equality between the members when compared to their previous title track, Juri did not get quite as many lines as the other members. I would have liked to see some of Suyun's lines be given to Juri as I think she is a strong enough vocalist to hold her own, but all in all the line distribution is fair but not fantastic. It is however nice to see members Dahyun and Sohee getting ample time to shine. Overall I felt Woolim and Rocket Punch accomplished something quite special with this song and that BOUNCY is most certainly my favourite song to use this type of Bright Crush concept hands down. Rocket Punch really pulled out all of the stops for this comeback and this is also reflected in the choreography for BOUNCY.
In combination with the music video's dance performances I'd also like to bring some attention the dance given during their showcase performance. It was during the showcase that I could truly see the dance in its entirety. Moving forward I will be attempting to use both any live performances and the music video performance to judge the dance section of my reviews if needed. The dance for BOUNCY is definitely more complicated and energetic than their previous release with each member getting defined sections to truly make her own. The dance performance in the music video was definitely more group focused, with focus also given to the style/outfits of the members, while the live performance really highlighted the individuals elements of the choreography more effectively. I think Rocket Punch has really made great use of their choreo to match the intensity and energy of the instrumental behind BOUNCY. In particular I really love the choreography during the chorus which perfectly reflects the instrumental, vocal, and lyrics of the song by being proportionally bouncy and youthful. The choreography for the rest of the song definitely felt more focused on each member's vocal lines which is standard fare for girl group choreographies but I noticed something quite unique in Rocket Punch's live showcase performance. Not only are all the members dancing in heels while jumping in the air several times, this blew my mind and I will continue to pray for their ankles during this comeback period, but I noticed that there seems to almost be three sets of pairs in Rocket Punch. What I mean by this is that members Sohee and Dahyun, the youngest members in the group, feel responsible for the cute, youthful, and energetic elements of the dance while members Yeonhee and Yunkyoung are responsible for the chic and elegant vibe given off by the group and song. Lastly members Suyun and Juri feel as if they're responsible for projecting the groups mature appeal with a more tomboyish vibe and attitude about them. I really feel like this makes the performance as a whole highly effective in reflecting the Bright Crush concept and I suggest those who a fan of music video for BOUNCY to check out their showcase performance and see if you notice it too.
My rating
Music Video: 8
Song: 8.5
Concept: 8.5
Style: 9
Dance: 9
Overall rating: 43/50
In conclusion I think Rocket Punch's title track BOUNCY will be a total smash hit for the group and hopefully with their growing success they may even see a music show win. BOUNCY feels like a whole package from the vibrant and colourful music video, to the energetic yet surprisingly bass heavy song, and lastly the wonderfully contrasting choreography that is carried by the unique vibe of the members while also matching the energy of the song well. The main criticisms I do have for this comeback really were only areas that needed slight improvement such as line distribution, music video production (primarily the production of the sets used), and the fact the music video lacked an impactful story or narrative. These are however only minor gripes and I truly think that BOUNCY is Rocket Punch's best song yet. I can't wait to listen to the rest of the mini album as a result. Thanks again for taking the time to read my review of Rocket Punch's BOUNCY!
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