iKON - Airplane

When reviewing iKON's debut track, My Type, I predicted that it was a warm-up for something more elaborate and impactful. I was kind of wrong, since both of the title tracks released by the group as part of their "half album" are understated and, honestly, don't have much of an impact at all. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I've come around to the juvenile early-00's hip-hop sound of Rhythm Ta, and I loved Airplane from first listen. The problem is that, as good as Airplane is, it's basically a Winner song. For those of you who don't know Winner is the group that "competed" against iKON in a k-pop survival show. They're rivals and friends, both under the same agency. Whereas Winner was well-known for a more ballad-heavy. mature style, iKON is supposed to be the young, fresh hip-hop group. Funny then, that my favorite song on their admittedly strong EP is the mid-tempo, mature sounding Airplane. It's that insistent English hook that rears its head throughout the track. The song's a classic YG-style ballad -- subtle and almost forgettable at first, but layered with hidden hooks that keeps you coming back for more.



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