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ITZY is back and they're making it known loud and clear to the world. Before anything else, one has to admit that "Guess Who" is probably their most refined and polished comeback yet. The girls reveal a brand new side to them that's both refreshing while also staying true to ITZY as we know them. There's no doubt that ITZY is establishing itself solidly in the music industry as a class apart from the rest. The effectiveness with which they're creating an original sound unique to ITZY is inimitable, especially in such a short span of their career. What shines through strongly is their confidence in their own music it is simply undeniable that Park JinYoung is a master producer.
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Throughout this album, there is a distinct bold sound that resonates through every single track. Not one track is even closely similar to another, with each one carrying an inherently well-defined hook that characterizes the song. At the same time, when listening to the album in one go, it is made plainly obvious what the overall theme is. ITZY does an amazing job of delivering the concept, both musically and visually. The music video for ITZY's 'MAFIA In the morning' is full of energy, vibrancy, and aesthetically stunning cinematography. When it comes to choreography, ITZY remains unparalleled as always.
The track, 'MAFIA In the morning' is a brilliant start to the album, making listeners curious as to what more could even come next when the beginning is so grand. 'In the morning' was co-written and co-produced by J. Y Park himself and it shows. There's an intensity to the song that is hard to replicate. There's not one single dull moment in the whole song and the production value is off the roof. Members RyuJin and YuNa own this track without a doubt.
'Sorry Not Sorry' gets even fiercer, representing ITZY's fearless battle cry. There's something so addictive in the melody that you can't help but replay the song again and again. The Western twang in is the strongest in this track, giving the exact "Mafia" feel that you imagine from this concept. The influences from "La Musica della Mafia: Il Canto di Malavita" are evident, as they are in most gangster/Mafia/Western-inspired music but ITZY reinvents it rather than simply sampling it, creating a whole new standard for the same. 'Sorry Not Sorry' is the song that defines ITZY and undoubtedly, therefore, it is badass and full of challenging fire.
'Kidding Me' is slightly more mellow, as compared to the first two tracks, at least until the 1:10 mark. Right then, the beat drops, and the song transforms into an unbelievably compelling refrain that is hard to get out of your head. This right here is the killing point and it hits the mark without any hesitation whatsoever. There's scope for a dance break towards the end of the track at the 2:49 mark, which makes one imagine the hardcore choreography ITZY would most likely be delivering for a live performance of 'Kidding Me'.
'Wild Wild West' starts off with a direct reference to the genre of Western cinema. However, besides that prelude, this song sounds the least bit like the concept of the wild wild west. Perhaps the subject matter is more apt for the title but sonically, this is the most "K-Pop" sounding song on this album. It's more of a celebration than a conflict or a face-off, which is what s normally expected from Western. However, it is just as entertaining, to say the least.
The simplicity of 'Wild Wild West' is quickly overpowered by the groovy composition of 'SHOOT!'. The track makes clear use of autotune and it is not excessive or overdone in the slightest. As a matter of fact, not using auto-tune here would have been a disservice to the track. It adds just the right amount of flow to the song which amplifies its already strong presence. This is a far cry from ITZY's usual musical style and goes to show how diverse this group can get, exploring avenues that are pretty tricky to nail and doing so effortlessly.
Finally, ITZY takes us to the close of the album in a soft acoustic-like track, titled 'TENNIS (0:0)'. The 0:0 score in tennis is commonly referred to as 'love', which seems to be the undertone of the track. A blooming relationship, filled with the emotions of excitement, curiosity, and the tension of a beginning, the push and pull, is equated to a game of tennis. Not only is this a refreshing change from the intensity of the rest of the album but once again, a genius conclusion to an album that started on quite the opposite beat.
Overall, there's no way but to admit that this is ITZY's one of the best works yet and it will be interesting to see how they top themselves the next time around.
