Song Review:: Hwasa (Mamamoo): O- NA

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  • Release date: 2024 September 19
  • Album tracklist: Road, HWASA, NA, EGO, OK NEXT, just wanna have some fun, O

  • Album runtime: 20 minutes

 It's always a pleasure to listen to Hwasa, even if it's been some time since she released a new album. Last year's I Love My Body was, as far as I'm concerned, a perfect match for her, so it'll be interesting to see where she goes from there. 

This is kind of a strange phenomenon where I can actively be listening to NA, and forget that I'm hearing instrumentals. I don't think it's because they're necessarily weak. I just think they blend into the background to support Hwasa's voice so well, that they fuzz out. It's not a bad thing. If she were playing one of the instruments, then I'd be alarmed by the imbalance there, but since she isn't, the point is to highlight her voice. Which they're very effective at doing. And that's even more interesting considering the chorus is actually doing noticeable things. Actually, and this makes sense considering where she's at now, but the instrumentals, when I can focus on them, remind me of Gangnam Style, especially during the chorus. The two songs feature the same build-up styles as well as the same club music during the chorus. Wow. It's been a while since I last heard Gangnam Style, although according to some ten year olds I know, it's coming back. and I really don't know how I feel about that. It came out before they were born. The one even is starting to learn the dance. Maybe NA can be the new version of Gangnam Style, considering they vibe the same way.

Hwasa is such a stunning vocalist, and I love the sound of her singing so much that I forget she's also a rapper. Well, NA reminded me. Even without the heavyweights of the other members of her group, Hwasa can more than easily enough hold her own among other groups and other soloists, because she raps, she she sings, and she dances. And she has enough earned swagger to etch her mark in whatever space she exists in, because her voice is her weapon, and she clearly knows it. Her rap is playful, but confident. The only thing missing from this song is an extended, belted punch of vocals. I'm not a particularly huge fan of the chorus. With what she can do, I think it's a waste of her talents. On the other hand, I'm a super fan of the pre- and post-choruses.

I know I said maybe NA could be the new version of Gangnam Style, but no ten year old has any business doing that dance, so maybe not. This entire thing screams confidence that could border on arrogance, while strutting around what looks like Paris. And Hwasa doesn't swagger here. No, she's too cool. She struts around, alternating between her being cool and her showing off the choreography, which again, I repeat, will need to be modified before I want ten year olds learning it. But, the simplicity of it as well as the scenes portrayed match the song perfectly.



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