Song Review:: BTOB: Be Alright

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  • Release date: 2024 November 25
  • Album tracklist: Be Alright
  • Album runtime: 4 minutes

 This is the second of BTOB's singles they're releasing at the end of the year. BTOB is just so cool. Like, I know I'm super biased about the whole thing, but it's been a whole year since they split from CUBE now, and they're doing ALL the things. You can't swing a dead catfish without hitting them doing something online, especially the four at BTOB company which are the ones who did this song, although I'd bet 100% that spots were written in for Changsub and Sungjae. That's what they do. They keep spots for their missing members (they did this on Kingdom with Show and Prove, with poor Changsub having to take the future low Hyunsik notes as well as the future high Sungjae notes. He complained. Endlessly. It's hilarious.) and then just give those parts to the members who can handle it. 

Is it just me or does the song start almost the exact same way as Love, Money, Fame? The first time I heard this, I thought that I'd hit the wrong song, and then they started singing and everything righted itself. There's a very distinct weight to the instrumentals, a deep thump that is aided by some quick skittering in places, but uses the piano to reinforce the percussion. There's only one section where we don't get to have that weightiness, and it's an Eunkwang section that feels like it may actually be a future Sungjae section. I actually really appreciate how solid, repetitive, and dependable the instrumentals here are, because they're stabilizing for the vocals, especially for later sections. And there's definitely a spot for audience participation clapping.

The healers are back. They had their trauma in the last song, and now they're back with another of version of "It's okay". Gwaenchana. 괜찮아. Only this time, it's accompanied by a thump to the back instead of just a hug. One of my favorite things about Pray, which hilariously has been kind of on repeat for the last couple of days and is also my favorite BTOB song (could talk endlessly about why it's nearly a perfect song), is the vocal gymnastics and shenanigans at the end, their vocal break as they call it. Be Alright features another one, though this one is less explosive and more soothing. It's the perfect group song with that ending, and the way the vocalists and the rappers just wander in and out with the others repeating the chorus makes my brain happy in the best way. Also, I really love the way their rappers rap. All of them. Happiness to my brain.

I think the music video is essentially just them hanging and chilling and singing, looking very soft and fluffy in their striped sweaters. Chill. Happy. Peaceful. Home.



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