P1Harmony’s “Sad Song”: A Repetitive Tune That Misses the Mark

P1Harmony Sad Song promotional image. K-pop group P1Harmony stands together in a dimly lit, artistic concept photo for their song Sad Song.

P1Harmony, a group known for burying their best tracks as B-sides, continues this frustrating pattern with their latest release. While their Killin’ It album from February showcased strong material, the title track felt uninspired. Based on the highlight medley for their newest comeback, it seems this trend is unfortunately continuing, as the promoted song, “Sad Song Sad Song Sad Song”, feels underwhelming.

“Sad Song” falls into the category of radio-friendly tracks designed to be immediately catchy, relying heavily on a repetitive and predictable chorus. It evokes comparisons to Western pop acts like Maroon 5, who have built their success on similar formulas. This approach prioritizes instant appeal for promotional purposes, but the initial excitement fades quickly due to a lack of depth within the song’s structure. “Sad Song sad song sad song” attempts to soften its hip-hop influences with Latin elements, reminiscent of the sonic direction NCT 127 explored during their “Regular” era. While this sonic palette isn’t necessarily unsuitable for P1Harmony, the specific samples chosen amplify the repetitive nature of “Sad Song sad song sad song”, ultimately hindering its impact.

Although the members deliver solid performances, “Sad Song sad song sad song” feels like an endless loop of the same musical phrase. The chorus, instead of providing a contrasting lift, unfortunately mirrors the instrumental hook too closely. This lack of contrast is crucial and prevents this style of production from truly standing out. The group injects considerable energy into the performance, but one can’t help but hope that the album itself contains more musically adventurous and engaging songs than this repetitive “sad song sad song sad song”.

Grade: C