Song Review:: Secret Number: Don't Touch

• Release date: 2025 August 19

• Album tracklist: Don't Touch

• Album runtime: 3 minutes

 So other than an OST done for Business Proposal, this review will mean that I've done both of their most recent songs as it's been almost exactly two years since then. Starlight was part of my attempt to make the obvious favoritism for NINE.i for their songs released in August of 2023 a little more diluted, otherwise I wouldn't have done it. And now, two years later, they've released their next song. I don't know about you all, but I'm concerned about that. I do have to give a shout out, though, because even though this is only a single and it's their first release in two years, we didn't get a two-and-a-half minute song. In other words, I have mixed feelings and a lot of concern. However, because four new members have been added to the group, I do have to take a look at ages, to know if I can listen to this song. Ages are fine. The new maknae turned nineteen this year already. Interesting though, we seem to have a similar situation to FIFTY FIFTY on our hands, given that almost all of the original members of the group have left the group, and of the six current members, four are new. This is almost the exact composition of the the new iteration of FIFTY FIFTY, interestingly enough. It does raise some questions, but at the same time, with first gen kpop, it wasn't unheard of for groups to undergo radical changes over the course of their activities. This isn't first gen though, so I'm not sure how much I should be alarmed by this. I will be keeping an eye on them. I'd hate to have this be another case of company misconduct.

Ooh, that's fun. We got kind of a LOONA/Dreamcatcher vibe off these instrumentals. Also, for the record, I added this song to about five playlists about thirty seconds in to the first listen. That's how fast I decided I love this song. It's not often that I immediately just love them, you know? Usually it takes me at least a full listen. But it's hitting my brain exactly right. We have variation between the different sections of the song. We've got what is likely a dance break. We've got some bits of a capella. But you know what makes this song an immediate "Yes, please"? We have variation within the segments. We're not getting the exact same set of sounds each time. I just gave you a lot of really short sentences, and I apologize because that's bad writing, but at the same time, I want the emphasis of having the shorter sentences because it is. Just. That. Good. 

Y'all know how I feel about the grounded female voice by this point, right? I literally could not be more satisfied with this song. Well, no, that's not true. We don't have a big belt, which would have been so singularly appropriate for this song, but we do have some very interesting harmonizes that I would have liked to see more of. I also, surprisingly, would have liked to hear more rapping. I know. I'm as surprised as you are by this, but the song is styled so that it actually would be appropriate to have like...the female version of a Wonwoo rap. We've got something close, but I'd have liked fiercer. And, for the record, this is just me nitpicking. I'm very satisfied with the song that we have. 

So we have what essentially amounts to a performance video and get nearly the entire choreography. Which is fine. I actually really like the choreography. We get a hint of a storyline, and for some reason, I'm thinking spies? There's a book series I read when I was a kid, the first of which is called I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You. Yes, I read it solely based on the title. It ended up being about a spy school, actually pretty interesting, but the touches of storyline reminded me a lot of that book.