GLAM - "Party (XXO)"

GLAM is Big Hit Entertainment's new girl group focusing on the girls' dancing as well as their hip hop-based vocal skills. Straying from girl groups' traditional cutesy image, they lean more towards an edgy and urban look. While debuting, groups want a song exhibiting various talents the group has to offer while showing a promising future. GLAM's debut song "Party (XXO)" definitely achieves said purpose.

"Party (XXO)" is an upbeat track that amplifies the girls' fun raps and strong vocals. Although not totally original, as the opening raps are reminiscent of artists such as Nicki Minaj's style, the girls manage to make it their own. One thing that surprised me was the strong, jazzy feel of the vocals. These different vocals give GLAM's debut song an extra "umph," setting it apart from the usual auto-tuned dance songs. "Party (XXO)" is also different from usual k-pop songs as it is more Western-influenced. Following the current trends of Western music, the song is littered with electro-house kicks and synths.

I also want to call attention to the lyrics. The song song starts out with "Can I kiss ya baby girl?" which caught me off guard, but I disregarded it and continued listening to the rest of the song. As I later looked up the English translation, I was really surprised. GLAM sings about how it doesn't matter if one is a guy or girl when it comes to love and anyone can be a Romeo or Juliet. Singing about this touchy subject in a country as conservative as Korea is really daring, and I give them their props.

If GLAM keeps it up, I feel as though they would be a good contender to break into the Western market. A song like this would instantly make it to the top of the charts. 4/5.