B1A4 - You Are A Girl I Am A Boy

Upon first listen, I was a little worried about the new B1A4 single. They are one of my absolute favorite K-Pop groups, particularly because they tend to honor strong pop songwriting over following trends. Sweet Girl, which is very much a 70's disco pastiche, isn't really what I wanted from them. And on first listen, the song itself didn't sound hooky enough at all to be a single -- especially one we've had to wait over a year for. However, it's growing on me. The guitar solos, in particular, really elevate it into something special. I think I might prefer the second track on the mini album, though. Despite its somewhat cringe-worthy title (which is frequently repeated in the chorus), the song is an energetic, extremely well-produced pop song. It maintains the 70's feel that highlights the bulk of the album, but it has a rockier backbone than most of what B1A4 have produced. I'd actually label it "power-pop" more than anything, which is a refreshing genre for mainstream Korean music to explore. Whatever you'd call it, it's a big track with an incredibly anthemic hook. In fact, the entire mini is more impressive than I'd first given it credit for.