Release Date: May 12, 2025
Track Listing
- @%
- 깨어 (Are You Alive)
- Detective Soseol
- Firework Diary
- Love Child
- Persona
- Too Hot
- Diablo
- Friend Zone
- Love2Love
In an effort to catch up on my backlog of music reviews, I will revisit some of the more notable releases that I may have missed in my recaps or wanted to explore in more depth, but could not due to other time-consuming obligations. For this article, it’s tripleS’ second 24-member album, ASSEMBLE25, released back in May.
Review
ASSEMBLE25 is tripleS’ second 24-member album. It shows the growth of the “small s” members as their abilities awaken and unite the group.
The title track 깨어 (Are You Alive) continues tripleS’s tradition of catchy a-sides, maintaining their signature “La La’s.” It reaffirms the group’s identity—defined in ASSEMBLE 24’s Girls Never Die — now in a more nuanced and reflective manner. If understanding the lyrics isn’t a priority, 깨어 (Are You Alive) is another energetic a-side you can crank to 11 and enjoy in ignorant bliss. So tripleS has got you covered if that is the camp you reside in.
The rest of the album is similar to ASSEMBLE and ASSEMBLE24, offering a strong variety of B-sides/album cuts for your listening pleasure. With tripleS, you’ll always have plenty to enjoy beyond the title track(s). That is consistent across all their mid to long-form releases.
For high-tempo, fun idol tracks, try Too Hot, Diablo, and Love2Love —the most immediate attention grabbers. I would also like to include Detective Soseol as an honourable mention. Having seen some of these songs performed live during the Alphie unit’s. @% tour, I have a strong bias towards Too Hot and Love2Love. But from a production standpoint, Diablo hits the most for me since it’s right within the wheelhouse of the styles of pop and dance music I enjoy creating.
Among the rest of the songs on the album, the ones that stood out to me the most were Love Child and Friend Zone. Both of these songs evoke a more relaxed mood compared to the dance-pop songs that surround them.
Love Child dips back into the well of light Drum & Bass/Breaks that was also a staple of tripleS LOVEution’s Speed Love and tripleS Hatch!’s Untitled. Love Child brings a quieter emotional tone that introduces a sense of calm to the album at its midpoint, creating a nice contrast with an instrumental that, if beefed up, could have served as another foundation for an impactful dance song. But instead, it serves as an anchor for a chill track.
Friend Zone, on the other hand, has tripleS pulling out the rare ballad card to great effect. Since they’re not known for consistently dropping slow jams, it’s always nice when they throw those who love those types of songs a bone. Friend Zone has the group waxing poetic about taking a relationship to the next level, showcasing a vulnerable side of the group, and demonstrating their ability to tackle slower-paced and intimate songs when called upon.
ASSEMBLE25 is another solid collection of songs that shows how far tripleS has come. There’s plenty here for both casual K-pop listeners and the more hardcore WAV to take in and enjoy. It’s that balance that keeps tripleS an easy group to follow music-wise. You don’t need to dive deep into the lore or decode hidden meanings to have a good time — the music stands on its own and is simply fun to listen to.
