Song Review: H1-KEY – Summer Was You

3 hours ago 7

In my corner of the world, the first few days of this summer have been mired in showers and a cool breeze, but in K-pop we’re witnessing the beginning of a battle between girl group summer tracks. From where I stand now, Hearts2Hearts’ Style has only grown in stature while I’m worried I might have slightly overrated fromis_9’s Like You Better. However, it will take time (and a surplus of actual sunny days) to determine the ultimate victor. Today, H1-KEY offers their bid for summer ubiquity with their long-awaited comeback Summer Was You (여름이었다).

This might be the most explicitly seasonal track yet and takes a slightly different approach than its predecessors. Summer Was You opts for a hearty rock arrangement. If you told me this was originally written for a group like Dreamcatcher, I’d believe you. This rollicking sound feels well-suited to a summertime OST. You can easily imagine it playing over the credits of a drama or soundtracking a road trip. The track has a sing-it-at-the-top-of-your-lungs appeal that’s hard to resist, hitting all the cues you’d want it to.

Summer Was You is anchored by a brilliant chorus that unfolds in several distinct segments. In K-pop’s current catchphrase-heavy world, it’s become very rare to hear songwriting in this style. I might have shrugged a track like this off ten years ago, but in 2025 it feels like a magical unicorn that must be treasured and protected. I love how the melodies grow more and more robust as the song unfolds. An equally dynamic instrumental would have given Summer Was You a more idiosyncratic touch, with icy synth or a memorable guitar riff delivering unique texture. But even without these elements, the track comes close to being a slam dunk.