As it happened with Ampers&One, 82MAJOR popped onto my radar because apparently the internet knows now that I will pounce on any K-Pop act coming to Ohio. These guys just happen to be coming to the same exact place in a little over a month!
I did learn that they have been a debuted group just slightly longer than Ampers&One, and my dive into their discography was timed well with the recent release of their third mini album, Silence Syndrome. But to be fair, I decided to listen to what Youtube threw up at me first, which happened to be “Choke,” the single off of their first mini album, Beat by 82. The chorus had me a little wary at first, but then I found myself singing it later in the day. I was doomed. From there, I listened to their first single album, which only had two songs, “First Class” and “Sure Thing.” The former was pretty dang good for it being the song that they debuted with! It also fit well with the style of “Choke.” So at least from a style perspective, they are consistent.
That’s not to say that all of their work sounds the same. Far from it. In fact, “Sure Thing” couldn’t be any more opposite! It sounds more like what I come to expect from K-Pop groups in a more generic sense. It’s not bad, but it’s just more widely palatable. It’s still so good, and I’m actually really looking forward to how this song translates in a live setting. Similarly, off their latest mini album, the closing track, “Promise You,” is a bit of an appreciation song meant for the fans. It’s perhaps a bit too slow for my taste, but I know I’ll be listening to it plenty more times. I’m sure it will end up a favorite someday even.
With that being said, I do like the harder style that features on almost every other song they’ve released. Perhaps some of that style comes from the fact that this group is mainly comprised of rappers. There are two designated singers in the group, but they can spit bars, too! Listen no further than “82” to get what I mean! But Seongil and Dogyun are more than enough to supplement the various toned raps from this group. It’s honestly hard for me to pick a favorite, because they all have such specific sounds compared to each other. That really leads to lots of diversity in songs that could otherwise sound one-note. I am particularly fond of “Gossip,” as far as flow goes. Low pitch member of the group, Seokjoon, shines in particular.
Though they don’t have an extensive catalog of songs available, all of their singles so far have been really strong. As mentioned before, “First Class” and “Choke” have an infectious, yet hard style that really stayed with me. Following up with “Stuck,” an extremely catchy earworm, and “Takeover,” a hard-hitting banger, they never take their foot off the gas. What really make those most recent singles stand out even more are their music videos. They are movie-quality! There also happens to be an interconnected story between the two of them. The style of the videos coupled with the style of the songs seem to give off a late 90s, early 2000s vibe. And that was my time to shine – no wonder I like them so much!
I’m really looking forward to seeing them live (and meeting them!) at such an intimate venue next month! Stay tuned!