Riize vs. Boy Next Door: Album Head to Head
This month we've had EPs from both Riize and Boy Next Door. Which 5th Gen Boy Group wins the head to head album review?
In April, we’ve had two major comebacks from leading fifth generation boy bands. Riize released Riizing, their first EP, on 28 April and Boy Next Door released How? on 15 April. This is their second EP after last year’s Why? (which expanded on their debut single album Who?).
These are two groups from two very different agencies so they have very different vibes! Riize, as an SM group, is extremely well prepared and well put together. They have insane dancers and visuals and strong vocalists. Boy Next Door is from KOZ, an imprint of HYBE led by Zico. They are a super fresh boy version of NewJeans, and they have a really strong rap line and great chemistry as a group.
It’s not really fair to these different groups to do a head to head like this but we like to keep it interesting on this newsletter so let’s go for it. Listen along here:
Song 1: Our Song 1 match up pits Riize's Siren against Boy Next Door’s OUR. This is so tough!!! Riize comes out swinging on Siren. This was their group’s introductory single, but the full version wasn’t released until this month, and it’s a pretty perfect song for them. It samples H.O.T. to evoke 90s Korean hiphop. It’s a reminder of the depth of their potential after a string of youthful singles. OUR from BND on the other hand is an iconic Boy Next Door song, very much along the lines of what we have heard from them up to this point. I really love it.
Winner: Riize
Song 2: Song 2 is a little unfair because we are matching Riize’s comeback single Impossible against Boy Next Door’s Amnesia. In my opinion, Impossible is one of the best comebacks of the year. This is an unabashed summery dance track built on trap and 808 beats that just can’t fail. It’s a throwback to 2000s dance music and no one else is doing it in Kpop right now. Amnesia is also super nice typical BND vibes, maybe with a bit more trap. It’s nice! But it can’t beat Impossible.
Winner: Riize
Song 3: Our song 3 face off pits Riize’s 9 Days against Boy Next Door’s So let’s go see the stars. 9 Days is a really nice song with a retro dance/hip hop vibe. I also think it’s really cool that SM seems to have put out music videos for every song on this album? Riize is just so slick and easy to love! However, So let’s go see the stars is my favorite song on the new BND album. It’s the song where I looked down at my phone to see what I was listening to because it’s still a BND song but a with a spin. The vocals are more mid-range, and the beat is driving but not trap. This is a great song!
Winner: Boy Next Door
Song 4: Our Song 4 match up also seems unfair because we’re matching Riize’s Honestly against Boy Next Door’s comeback single Earth, Wind & Fire. Honestly moves us into the slowed down section of Riize’s album - it’s a midtempo R&B vocal showcase. As usual with an SM group, it’s hard to argue with these undeniable vocals even if it verges on a bit soulless at times. On the other hand, when I tell you I had a full body cringe reaction when Earth, Wind & Fire came through my headphones, especially right after a song I loved as much as So let’s go see the stars? It’s definitely…unique, but the whiny vocals and juvenile production make me cringe so hard. I will say that the speedy rap sections are a nice showcase for BND’s rapline, but I’m so sorry but I really think this song belongs in that rare category of Kpop songs that are kind of embarrassing to play in front of the uninitiated, like Itzy’s Sneakers or that TXT song about being a dog. Like both of those songs, I’m sure this song has its fans but they are not me!
Winner: Riize
Song 5: Moving on, Song 5 is our last head to head and we have Riize’s One Kiss against Boy Next Door’s l i f e i s c o o l (which I’m going to call life is cool from here on out because those spaces are cool but annoying!). One Kiss is your very standard fan service midtempo ballad from an SM group. Maybe I’ve aged out of fanservice, but I think if I was the target demographic here it would make me swoon. BND’s life is cool is a pretty unique track - you don’t really hear Kpop groups doing surfer/tropical rock with funky beats like this!!
Winner: Boy Next Door
Song 6: Riize’s album is only five songs, so our only song 6 in competition today is Boy Next Door’s Dear. My Darling. Bucking the Kpop tradition, their last song is not a fanservice song but instead a letter to a former flame wishing them well over a jazzy track. I like it, we’ll give them a point!
Winner: Boy Next Door
So the final tally is 3 points for Riize and 3 points for Boy Next Door - both groups have delivered strong EPs that reflect their identities. Riize’s is a little bit tighter and cleaner, but they lose some spark at the end. BND bring energy and charm throughout but their album is a little bit patchier and there are some misses. Personally, I prefer Riize. What about you? In any case, both of these groups better stay on their toes because Korea’s favorite 5GBG ZeroBaseOne had a comeback last week and it’s reeeeally good! Isn’t it fun to have so much great pop music to listen to?