Release Date: August 12, 2024
Track Listing
- Supersonic
- Beat the Heat
- Take A Chance
Review
Being a fromis_9 fan is a test of one’s dedication and patience. Despite being under the HYBE umbrella, they still have an infrequent release schedule compared to similarly tenured girl groups and groups at their general popularity level.
Their last mainline release (meaning not a one-off digital single or OST song) was 2023’s Unlock My World, and Flovers (fromis_9 fans) have been waiting for their next comeback ever since. If you can relate, your prayers for fromis_9 to see the spotlight again have been answered. The group has finally returned with its first release of 2024, the late summer single Supersonic.
The title track is a high-energy summer jam reminiscent of American freestyle music or Miami bass. Supersonic plays to the vocal strengths of fromis_9, with the highlight being Hayoung once again hitting the impressive high notes as the song climaxes in the final chorus.
Supersonic also breaks fromis_9 out of their typical template for title songs. Listeners familiar with their discography know what I mean, but for those new to the group, they had a very consistent pleasant (some would say boring) girl pop sound for their past few a-sides before this release, and Supersonic bucks that trend in a good way.
The b-sides on Supersonic are more conventional-sounding fromis_9 songs, but they are still of higher quality. Beat the Heat is a peppy summer-season pop song, while Take A Chance has a more relaxing mood and closes the single out nicely. They certainly don’t hit as hard as the title track, but they are still worth a spin.
Despite not releasing new music for over a year, fromis_9 has shown that when given the opportunity, they can hit home runs when called upon. It’s a shame they only got a three-track single instead of an EP or a full-length album after being away for so long.
A release like this would be a teaser for something more extensive to come later in the year. However, with fromis_9, you should lower your bar of expectation because, given their release pattern, the odds of them having a second release in 2024 are low. I hope I am wrong about this assumption, but I doubt it.
