Release Date: August 6, 2019
Track Listing
- Sunday
- Remember
- Follow Me
- Milkshake (Chinese Version)
Review
FANATICS are a 6-member group under FENT (Fascino Entertainment). Their membership consists of:
- Sika – Leader, Main Vocalist
- Chaelin – Main Rapper, Lead Dancer, Vocalist
- Doi – Lead Vocalist, Visual, Sub-Rapper
- Yoonhye – Lead Dancer, Vocalist
- Chiayi – Main Dancer, Vocalist, Sub-Rapper
- Doah – Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper, Face of the Group, Maknae
Followers of the Produce 101 television show may recognize Chaelin (2016, ranked 87th) and Doah (2018, ranked 23rd) from their respective seasons on the show.
FANATICS first made themselves known via their sub-unit FLAVOR (Yoonhye, Chiayi and Doah) on November 26, 2018 with the single Milkshake.
The song has a retro 80s funk/synth pop feel to it with the 3 members spending the majority of the time rapping rather than singing. It is a cleverly designed track that kind of distracts from the fact that these girls are talking about how thirsty they are.
FANATICS as a group made their debut on July 19, 2019 with the EP The Six featuring the lead song Sunday.
Sunday serves as a proper introduction of the group with all six members present. The lyrical content is the complete opposite of Milkshake where there is no desire to quench the thirst. Instead there are uplifting lyrics about being a free spirit.
The feeling behind the lyrics is also reflected in the vocals where there is a focus on being soft and sweet. Sunday also sets up the rest of the new tracks on this EP as they mostly have the same overall vibe.
Your other two choices when it comes to new material are the pop ballad (Remember) and a R&B flavored slow jam. (Follow Me) Both songs show different sides of FANATICS while still fitting within the overall theme of the EP. What floats your boat will depend on what you are in the mood for.
At the end of the The Six is the Chinese language version of Milkshake. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of the songs before it so perhaps consider it a bit of bonus rather than a proper end to the EP.
FANATICS are unlike the other debuting girl groups. They seem to prefer quietly sliding into your consciousness with some smooth songs rather than hammering you over the head with a bombastic banger of a track. Take that along with their initial concept for this introductory single into account and they may turn off those who want to be wowed more than wooed into submission.
The Six gives a basic idea of what FANATICS could be as a group. Based on their first two releases they do not have a clearly defined sound as of yet. It may take a couple of singles to truly see what direction they end up going in. If that is the case, then consider The Six as a good start to FANATICS’ idol journey.
