Song Review: BE BOYS – I’m So Sorry, But I Love You

K-pop can often be a microcosm of confusion. The newly debuted BE BOYS have nothing to do with the soon-to-premiere survival series B:MY BOYZ, but you’d be forgiven for making the easy mistake. Up until about a week ago, I assumed the two were one and the same. Instead, this rookie group is the first act to come from OAK Company — an entity I’ve never heard of but assume is stationed within some huge tree, Gummi Bears style. They’ve debuted with a track whose title recalls one of K-pop’s most iconic hooks, which has to be intentional, right?

The nugu is strong with this group. Sometimes, you can just hear it in a song. I’m So Sorry, But I Love You has big ambitions to recreate bigger hits (Seventeen’s funk here, BOYNEXTDOOR’s attitude there), but the result is constrained by a number of factors. The production feels plug-and-play, lacking an identity of its own. And though the guys burst forth with a ton (and I mean a TON) of energy, the vocal performance often feels strained and drowned out by the boisterous instrumental. Their upbeat energy earns them some points, but even this begins to dissipate as the track wears on. And without any memorable hooks, I’m So Sorry, But I Love You passes by without leaving much of a mark. As with any newly-debuted group, I wish them the best.

Grade: C