Released February 17, 2016
Track Listing
- Don’t Stop
- Best Man
- Don’t Stop (Instrumental)
- Best Man (Instrumental)
- Recall (Bonus)
Review
Don’t Stop is the second Japanese single from Nicole (third if you want to count the Kara Collection back in 2012). Now a few years into her solo career, my main question is whether her music allows her to stand by herself rather than having to lean on her prior association with KARA to draw public interest. At this point, I’m not sure there’s an answer to the question.
Coincidentally, the single Don’t Stop does sound like something KARA would’ve recorded when they were active. I was surprised when I heard it and got some KARA vibes, but that didn’t lead me to enjoy it. It left me indifferent. The entire release left me with a middling feeling. By no means is the single terrible or a waste of your time, yet it isn’t interesting or pleasing enough to recommend.
Unfortunately, this is how I see Nicole’s solo career thus far. There hasn’t been a moment I could point to and say she made her mark as a soloist. There hasn’t been any song that made me a believer. But I can’t say she has failed cause there isn’t anything to suggest that she has. So I’m left having to shrug my shoulders.
Don’t Stop doesn’t change anything. Perhaps in the future, she will put out something that will make me say she shed those last drawbacks. This isn’t it.