Song Review:: NOWZ: Play Ball- HomeRUN

• Release date: 2025 November 26

• Album tracklist: GET BUCK, HomeRUN, Run with me

• Album runtime: 8 minutes

 Not a single song on this even hits the three minute mark. Although I also just realized that I never did the title track for IGNITION. Whoops. It's also kind of funny how stubborn I am. I just decided that I was going to love them (because I wanted to support them being adults at debut) and then it was a case of waiting for them to drop a title track I liked. I got that with both Fly to the youth (which to be fair is a pre-release single and is not a title track) and also EVERGLOW, which I have heard even though I haven't reviewed it yet. So I'm curious about where this one is going to go: a return to form or a continuation of the previous mini album. 

This single actually has a good range. Those are three very different songs. That is pleasing.

You know, for the type of instrumental this is, there's a surprising amount of singing involved. Honestly, I've got a feeling that by the time I get through this song, because I listen to the songs on repeat when I review them, I'll really like this one and may add it to that all important playlist of the songs I like the best for the year. I love that water plink at the beginning and then the way it's a slow, gradual build in intensity, which definitely makes this is a good work-out song because that is a strong beat with interesting textures to it. 

So, like I said, there's a surprising amount of singing to this song considering, but at the same time, if they can pull this off well live, this will be a really good highlight of their abilities. I'm trying to figure out which group this reminds me of. Whichever group it is, it feels early third gen. Eh, whatever. It's a really good blend of the rapping and the vocals with an appropriate intensity for the instrumental. But I do have to give a specific shout-out to the Yoon/Siyun bridge because I deeply love the play between rap and vocals when they pass the spotlight back and forth in rapid succession.

Hyeonbin and Jinhyuk really tried to steal the show from Siyun, didn't they? Well, it's hard when a group has a maknae that cool and talented, but they tried. Jinhyuk especially. He was in fine form for this music video. It does feel like more of a performance video, but that's fine because the vibes are immaculate. Very well done.