Song Review: NCT Dream – Boogie Woogie

After pre-releasing album opener The Sun last month, NCT Dream are embarking on their first project since founding member Mark Lee left to go solo. And with title track Boogie Woogie, they’ve returned to their bright, upbeat roots. I’d like to think there’s no age limit on fun bubblegum pop music, but it does become more challenging to peddle the sound when you’re no longer the fresh-faced newbies of the industry. Boogie Woogie does an admirable job thanks to the members’ well-honed skills. On one hand, this is a cheesy, on-the-nose piece of radio fodder a la Permission To Dance or… I can barely even utter the words… Can’t Stop The Feeling. However, there’s enough distinctly K-pop pizzazz to keep Boogie Woogie from fading into generic obscurity. The effusive chorus simultaneously invites with its bombastic hook and repels with its cringe lyrics. I guess that’s what you’d call a “guilty pleasure,” and only time will tell which extreme wins out. I’m more charmed by the moments that surround Boogie Woogie‘s centerpiece. The post chorus has a nice sense of lift that feels less forced, while the song’s short rap verses ride the groove rather than seek to reinvent it. I’m not sure someth...