Song Review:: Peniel (BTOB): story of my L:ove- Daydream

 

• Release date: 2024 September 29

• Album tracklist: Daydream (Feat. JUNNY), Stuck On You

• Album runtime: 5 minutes

Am I a little peeved that we got three days' notice of this thing's existence before it was released? Yes. Is that just what BTOB does these days apparently? Also, yes. It's fine. It's all fine. It's not going to affect my anticipated enjoyment of it. Also, I'm side-eyeing that runtime.

That cover art is flipping adorable. Anyway. Continue.

There's a really cute part of the instrumentals during the chorus. On the words "find me in a daydream", instead of maintaining the rhythm that the guitar has been plinking out, it follows the rhythm of the words. I think it happens a little earlier in the chorus as well, during the "rhyming" section (it sounds like it's a six line chorus, so lines 3 and 6, even though the lines don't rhyme in the traditional sense with the words but they do with rhythm and syllables). I love the pre-chorus as well, where the guitar gets to flex a little and the notes are lower and it sounds like a proper guitar, but the drums and other accoutrement take a little step back. I also like how the instrumentals go quiet at the very end of the bridge, to highlight Peniel's voice, before gently guiding us back through the last chorus.

Speaking of Peniel's voice, I think someone has been taking voice lessons, maybe with his hyungs Changsub and/or Eunkwang. It wouldn't surprise me since he's been having to take on Changsub and Sungjae parts while the four at their company have been doing fan meetings and concerts. And, personally, if I was Peniel and having to be a vocalist with Eunkwang, Minhyuk, and Hyunsik, I'd be taking voice lessons too so that I could better match them. BTOB has a reputation (several but the beagle-dol thing is currently unrelated), and while I've always thought Peniel has had a perfectly nice voice that I'd love to hear more of, it's been upgraded. He's still got his distinct flavor because his voice and Junny's are easily differentiated and he still sounds like himself, but what was perfectly nice is now perfectly lovely. And he's suiting the softness of the song so well. Are we going to hear more of Vocalist Peniel in the future? Are we going to have the BTOB equivalent of Kidult or Circles by Seventeen where we get to hear the entire group flex their vocals? Please, yes. I want to hear more of Vocalist Peniel. Rapper Peniel is a delight, and I love him. But Vocalist Peniel is turning out to be so soft that I'm half falling in love with him.

Pink looks really good on Peniel, and I'm glad to see him looking healthy and his hair looking so good. And I know this isn't a music video as such and more of a live video, but Peniel is really out here saying "I'm a healer from BTOB too," because it's making me want to curl up and take a nap. In a good way. This video is making him seem like he would give the absolute best hugs. And there's something I noticed that makes me laugh a little. For at least a little bit of that last chorus, his inner ear is out. He's only got the one in anyway through almost the entire video, like Junny, but Junny dutifully keeps that one in the entire video. And, I just have to say, I love the random goldfish in what looks like a plastic purse, but probably isn't.

Oh, and this is an all English track. I appreciate that.