Bursting onto the Kpop scene with their bold styling and concept, Young Posse continues to build up their unique discography around hip-hop and rap influences. After previously collaborating with individuals such as Lil Cherry, Dbo, Verbal Jint, NSW yoon and Token, all of whom are hip-hop artists, the group proves their dedication to their concept.
Debuting in October 2023, Young Posse released their title track “Macaroni Cheese” which was infamous among Kpop fans alike. The lyrics of the track struck a chord with many fans who pointed out that these young artists shouldn’t be saying potentially suggestive lyrics such as “Just add it up, drop it on my body” and “Well it’s cheesy, come quickly and taste it.” Looking past this, it can be said that the unique styling of their debut continues to show in their newest releases as Young Posse utilizes the style of the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) in their latest EP, “ATE THAT.”
Just like how a video game starts up with a loading screen, the album’s first track is titled “Loading….” The song’s instrumental starts off with an eerie kind of sound, similar to that of a music box playing in a horror film. Luckily the sound isn’t too off putting as it soon uses a beat drop to transition into a piano beat, creating a catchy sounding instrumental. The harmonization at the beginning of the song easily pulled me in. The track seems to hint at the group members having no specific future they need to pursue, and instead that they can do anything they put their mind to, as seen in the lyrics: “It’s time to taste everything / Without preferences” and “I throw away the trapped future.” I enjoyed the overall sound of the song, however, some lyrics are a bit interesting. I don’t exactly understand what, “Cray, sending good vibrations, from the trunk / To the front, then you know it’s loading load, we back again” means, which has to be the only downside of this song.
The next track boasts the same name as the EP and serves as the title track for this album. “ATE THAT” starts off with a strong instrumental with a familiar synth sound. Coincidentally this specific synth was also used in Ice Cube’s GTA track titled, “You Know How We Do It.” Nicknamed as the “funky worm sound,” it was commonly used in 90s West Coast hip-hop and perfectly fits the old-school type of style Young Posse is trying to achieve. Personally this track really stood out to me with its catchy instrumental and captivating lyrics like “Five, six, seven, and eight that / Yeah, sis, I ate that” add to the musicality of the song. I would definitely add this song to my playlist.
The album takes a turn as the next track is titled, “Bananas.” Seeing the title I immediately assumed that the song was going to be a cute, upbeat type track, however I was proven wrong within the first few seconds. The beat is like a song that fellow rookie girl group, BABYMONSTER, would release, as it somewhat resembles their track titled “BATTER UP,” which was a pleasant surprise. But as the song progressed, the less interested I became and the more confused I felt. The track’s lyrics are nonsense and lack meaning. Lyrics like “If you slip, you’ll be exposed, this is bananas” did not help me deduce what the song was trying to convey. In comparison to the album’s title track, “Bananas” left me confused and wanting to never listen to the track ever again.
Lastly, the album’s final track is “Umbrella,” a slow ballad type of song. Ballads are a common occurrence in Kpop albums and “ATE THAT” is no exception. I usually enjoy most Korean ballad songs so from the start I had high expectations of this track. It starts off with a piano beat with rain falling in the background, creating an intimate, emotional feeling. The lyrics aren’t too bad here as they sing about feeling suffocated and confused in love, creating depth and meaning with the song. The lyric “Let the rain come fallin’ / It’s too hot / The hottest summer is pouring down” helps listeners cultivate the feeling that the group sings about.
In the end, “ATE THAT” has to be the one track that I liked the most out of this whole album as the other songs simply failed to provide the satisfaction I was looking for. I truly enjoyed the instrumentals for all the tracks, however, the main issue I had was the lack of flow with the lyrics. This ultimately made the songs sound weird and halfway through each track I found myself getting bored of the song and wanting to stop listening to it. The catchy instrumentals would definitely keep me coming back for more, but the lyrics ultimately push me away. If you’re craving for a fulfilling Kpop album with hip-hop influences, I would not recommend Young Posse’s “ATE THAT” to satisfy that hunger.
