Song Review:: I.MET.U: VELVET TRIGGER {Pre-Debut}

• Release date: 2025 November 03

• Album tracklist: VELVET TRIGGER

• Album runtime: 2 minutes

 I’ve added the pre-release single to my list that I need to get to because this is a debuting group, though this is still pre-debut. It’s been a second since I’ve had one (because I didn’t get to another one that is also in pre-debut right now and I have a week before they do that) and especially with The Show and ASC being canceled, the rookie groups need so much more attention from those of us who do this sort of thing. This is a survival show girl group, four member from the show Time Turner (which, if I remember correctly, was the one on TikTok). They already have an official color, which is deep pink (it’s only a little bit darker than NU’EST’s bright pink and not one that I would necessarily call deep pink, but at least they have a color so I’m not going to grumble too much). One of the members is one of the Huening siblings, so the expectations are unfortunately quite high for her performance. Another one of the members is Indonesian, so that’s fun and not a nationality I see a lot of with this. I am intrigued and delighted. All of them are adults and in their twenties, which is a relief. Six years between eldest and maknae, but that’s fine because we don’t have anyone who is ridiculously underage. The song is slightly over two-and-a-half minutes long, so I'm not super happy about that.

With how quiet the vocals are, I'm surprised that the instruments are as loud as they are. The synth is strong with this one, taking up the majority of the airtime, though I am deeply appreciative of the bit where the synth goes away and it's just the quiet drum supporting the rapping. The ending of the song too is really pretty. It's kind of fluttery and sparkly in an 80s sort of way. This doesn't feel like the kind of song that would have particularly strong or big choreography, though I hope to be wrong.

Honestly, I didn't particularly like the song all that much the first couple of listens, but it grew on me. As a side effect of the runtime, the song doesn't have as much variation as I'd like, and the chorus feels a little bit overplayed. I can also hear the autotune, but for the most part, it's subtle enough that it does slightly raise the question of "Is it a stylistic choice or is it out of necessity?" Underneath the autotune though, there is audible maturity in at least two of them: one of the rappers and one of the vocalists. I'm not sure that the two voices aren't the same person though. But I do like this song. It doesn't really have the strong bits to it that it really needs, and the ad-libs are practically nonexistent which is a little bit worrying, but I trust that the company is just adjusting them to this whole process and that we'll get some good vocal displays later. Ooh, maybe at debut! That would be fun!

This is very much a vibes and visuals music video, and also one that is very clearly meant to affirm the bond between the members. I do have one thing to say about it: who puts on lipstick like that? I know I'm not the world's leading expert on that art, but at the same time, I grew up watching my grandmother. I did get the confirmation on the choreography, though.