In terms of likelihood for success, 3rd Gen K-pop was the golden era; as the genre really began to reach the other side of the globe, even small groups had their hits. 4th Gen subsequently built on the immense rise in popularity caused by the previous years of music, as companies trained up and pumped out idols at a rate faster than ever to try and take their slice. Since recently entering the 5th Gen, there’s a new group debuting every day, and K-pop companies know it’s important to get a debut right. Amidst an industry brimming with hopeful talents, you’ve got to stand out to make it—so that’s what DXMON went and did. 

The grungy sextet debuted with a mini album of four polished tunes, but the music wasn’t what grabbed people’s immediate attention; it was the hair. Perhaps reminiscent of earlier looks of groups like TVXQ — or a cactus if you’re far away — rapper Jo debuted with an enormous spiky red mop, which older member Hee countered with long blue locks. The striking styling accompanies the bright, slightly trippy edge of the SPARK music video, and being their official introduction to the world does its job of catching the eye. 

The EP starts with a daringly simple Hip-hop beat in N.W.B. With its thin composition, the song relies on its catchy raps rather than elaborate sound, and goes well with the low, croaky vocals that constantly remind you to breathe (in case you forgot how to). Keeping up the tough boy image, Burn Up explodes onto the record with hefty bass and a rap-heavy structure not relieved by its even louder chorus. Lyrics such as “Extraordinary attitude / We’re tigers not snakes / Ripping it all apart like a beast / Leaving them stunned huh” are spat at the listener with full belief, justifying the chant-singing later on. The track was showcased with its own pre-debut music video, which features imagery as intense as its sound advertises.

SPARK, the mini album’s title track, takes a 180 on the cooler-than-thou approach, assuring fans that they can perform a gratifying smoothness just as well. While the group’s biggest strength seems to be in rap, leader Minjae carries the vocal area, softening the space between rappers’ choppy verses with lines such as “You and I are the protagonists among people”, and the repeated hook “I feel a spark”. VERY is the neat little conclusion of the EP (except for a couple instrumental versions of the same songs), which was produced with an almost edible cleanliness very typical to K-pop sound. The narrative of the song is basic; Person A is very pretty, and Person B likes them a lot. What gives VERY the oomph it needs are the pumps of airy “wub” synths in the chorus, creating that vibrant electronic sound to end the album on a high note, both literally and figuratively. 

A short release that isn’t lacking in quality, HYPERSPACE demonstrates a certain confidence of DXMON’s that you don’t see with every K-pop debut, if it weren’t already evident from the marvellous hair. They only need to keep building on this foundation to make a blaze from their spark.

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Written by Maddie Armstrong

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}