IZ*ONE – Buenos Aires Review

IZONE Buenos Aires Promo

Release Date: June 26, 2019

Track Listing

IZONE Buenos Aires Type A

Regular Edition A

  1. Buenos Aires
  2. Tomorrow
  3. Target
  4. Buenos Aires (Instrumental)
  5. Tomorrow (Instrumental)
  6. Target (Instrumental)

IZONE Buenos Aires Type B

Regular Edition B

  1. Buenos Aires
  2. Tomorrow
  3. Toshishita Boyfriend
  4. Buenos Aires (Instrumental)
  5. Tomorrow (Instrumental)
  6. Toshishita Boyfriend (Instrumental)

IZONE Buenos Aires WIZONE Version

WIZ*ONE Edition

  1. Buenos Aires
  2. Tomorrow
  3. Human Love
  4. Buenos Aires (Instrumental)
  5. Tomorrow (Instrumental)
  6. Human Love (Instrumental)

Special Edition

  1. Buenos Aires
  2. Tomorrow
  3. Human Love
  4. Buenos Aires (Instrumental)
  5. Tomorrow (Instrumental)
  6. Human Love (Instrumental)

Review

Buenos Aires is IZONE’s second Japanese single release. Much like their debut Suki to Iwasetai it comes in 16 editions. Two regular CD+DVD editions, a limited WIZONE CD only edition (sold on IZONE’s Japan Official Shop), 12 CD only member solo jacket editions and a box set that includes the WIZONE edition and all the member editions.

This single comes in hot off of IZONE’s second Korean album HEARTIZ and in the midst of their Asian tour “EYES ON ME”. Teaser videos for the song were released on YouTube in late May giving listeners a quick taste of what to expect.

Now that the complete single has been released does it manage to meet the high expectations fans have of IZ*ONE? Well that is probably where Buenos Aires is going to disappoint.

With a title such as Buenos Aires one can imagine a song that has a bit of a summery, tropical feel to it. That is not the case here as the end result of the a-side is something that sounds like it was pulled from the most recent 48/46 b-side bin. What that means to you will depend on what your opinion is on some of the coupling tracks that Aki-P and his merry band of music makers churn out for the groups mentioned above.

For what it’s worth the song isn’t as awful as I make it sound as it does end up getting itself into your head after a few repeated listens. The factor I believe that prevents this from being a decent a-side is the rap break. I’m all for idols dropping rhymes but it felt out of place here. That I can honestly say is probably the worst part of Buenos Aires. Take that section out and it’s a smoother flowing song.

As is customary with these multi-version Japanese releases the b-sides are spread out amongst each one. Tomorrow appears on all versions of the single. Target appears on Type A, Toshishita Boyfriend on Type B and Human Love on the WIZ*ONE edition. The ones that received promotional videos are obviously what will generate the most amount of interest.

https://youtu.be/l6XkbAqMEtI

Toshishita Boyfriend is a saccharine filled slice of J-Pop that actually sounds like it should have the a-side rather than Buenos Aires. It has that unique quality of instantly capturing your attention from the first note.

The only thing that may turn people off from the song is that it does cater a little more to the squeak monsters of the group in regards to vocals. But if you can bypass that little quirk then you may find it to be a satisfying listen.

https://youtu.be/J8dFx1A-FEk

Target is a mid-tempo Urban/Pop crossover song that features a mature sound compared to the teenage innocence of Toshishita Boyfriend. However, it is not as instantly captivating and may take some time to warm up to.

The vocals in the song also feel like they are a little high in the mix at times making them seem louder than the music in parts. With all that taken into account it is still a very good addition to their Japanese discography.

Human Love is the other b-side worth mentioning. It is a duet between Jo Yuri and Ahn Yujin. One would believe that pairing up two of the stronger vocalists in IZ*ONE would result in some sort of power diva duel. That is not the case here as both girls are given an equal opportunity to show their vocal prowess. And when they harmonize it’s definitely on point.

When it comes to IZ*ONE’s follow up to Suki to Iwasetai there is a lot left to be desired when it comes to the a-side as it is not a strong lead song. This single is in a similar situation to BLACKPINK’s Kill This Love where the coupling tracks are better than the song getting the push.

Regardless, there is enough on this single to make it a worthy addition to their growing Japanese discography.

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