Release Date: January 15, 2024
Track Listing
- Door
- Farewell My First
tripleS is the world’s first “fan-participating girl group,” they debuted in February 2023 with the EP Assemble.
Having gone in with low expectations, I found their debut EP enjoyable. So why not look at the group’s sub-unit releases? If they are half as decent as the primary unit, they might be worth trying.
So, in this review, I listen to Aria’s Structure of Sadness.
Aria is the seventh tripleS sub-unit, and they debuted on January 15, 2024. Like the other tripleS sub-units, the fans voted the members into their respective groups. The only exception with Aria is Seo Dahyun, who got her spot due to being the main vocalist for tripleS.
The four members voted into Aria are:
- Nien
- Kim Chaeyeon
- Lee Jiwoo
- Kaede
Aria’s debut single is titled Structure of Sadness, featuring the song Door as its title track.
tripleS and its various subunits are known to create music that aims to make you move and groove. That is great, but what about dropping some slow jams? Where are ballads? Well, that’s where tripleS’ seventh subunit, Aria, comes in. This five-member group brings soothing songs that pull at your heartstrings and feed the need for diva-like vocals.
The two songs on Structure of Sadness cover the subjects of heartbreak and longing in different ways. The title track, Door, is the more dramatic sounding of the two songs, allowing the members to pull out their best vocal gymnastics as the instrumental builds and swells to a crescendo in the final chorus.
Farewell My First is calming compared to the title track. It relies more on a simple arrangement, giving the member’s vocals an upfront presence. The vocal performances feel more restrained and help convey the song’s mood well. Not every ballad needs infinite runs and notes only dogs can hear to be effective.
Structure of Sadness showcases the gentler side of tripleS and shows they have more to offer musically than catchy dance tracks. Hopefully this will lead to other members of the group to have an opportunity to perform chest-thumping ballads in the future to add to this part of tripleS’ song catalog.
