[#36] Nine Muses - "Hurt Locker"

From: "9MUSES S/S EDITION"
Previous Best of Entries: 2011: [#50] "Figaro" / 2012: [#24] "News" / 2013: [#4] "Wild"
Other notable song(s) from 2015: "Fancy", "Yes or No"

"Wild" remains, to me, one of the best K-Pop girl group tracks every produced, and 2013 was the year I wish I didn't have my one song per artist rule so I could show what an incredible year Nine Muses had. Unfortunately for us all (Nine Muses included), the glory that was 2013 for Nine Muses was never repeated. I'll admit that I was afraid when Sera left, and their first few months post-Sera were rocky in terms of material and finding their grounding.

But "Hurt Locker" I think is going in the right direction, because it's both a nod to their "Wild" days, but also a departure and a process of figuring out where they lie as a group without Sera.

As a song, "Hurt Locker" can tend to sound cheap in the wrong way, especially at the chorus. But for me it's more or less balanced out by the bubbling, dramatic verses with striking yet simple vocal lines and rich instrumentation. It's one part girly, with a melody that flatters the girls' vocals, but one part edgy with the bass loop and the choice of synth.

Over-all, "Hurt Locker" is a well-produced track. Musically it's not the best, and it lacks a solid but not sharp hook, but it's a passable start for a new era in Nine Muses' repertoire.