Debuting in 2019 with ten members, Cherry Bullet was the final line up of the reality show “Insider Channel Cherry Bullet.” Later that year, members Mirae, Kokoro, and Linlin departed from the group. Although the exit of three members was a surprise to many fans, Cherry Bullet is proving their resilience. 

Their concept follows the meaning of Cherry Bullet: “cute as a cherry, but shoots the hearts of listeners with energetic charm.” All of their albums encompass this concept and “Cherry Dash” is no exception. 

To start off, their title track, “P.O.W! (Play On the World)” tries to pull listeners in from the first second. The song skips the instrumental intro and jumps straight into the song with the lyrics, “Play on the World” echoing with distortion. I found it quite intriguing as I haven’t heard any other K-pop song that uses the same effect. While transitioning to the pre-chorus, the beat changes from upbeat to downbeat and back to upbeat for the chorus. It kept me on my toes, waiting to see what other surprises the track hid.

The second song, “Whistle Like That,” starts off with whistling, as the title suggests. The build up of beats in the pre-chorus leaves listeners expecting a big beat drop, but it’s the exact opposite. The instrumental is pulled apart, leaving only the bass and drums, letting the vocals drop in. This part of the song had the biggest impact on me, taking the spot for my favorite track.

Next is a cutesy, pop song, “Cloud Nine”. The style reminds me a lot of GFRIEND, whose songs are cute and lighthearted in the same way. Matching the vibes that it exudes, this track is about the feeling of liking or having a crush on someone. The lyrics, “The feeling of walking on the clouds / Maybe I’m crazy” express how a crush makes them feel like they’re on “cloud nine”.

“Queen,” just like the previous track, is another sweet, upbeat song. The best way to describe this track is that it feels “bouncy,” as if I can’t help but dance along with it. Adding onto the fun aspect, the sounds of laughter are scattered throughout the instrumental. The high pitched vocals of the members are the perfect pairing for such an energetic song. 

Cherry Bullet, like many other groups, end this album with a soft ballad, “A Winter Star”. The song starts off with a piano instrumental, setting a calming tone for the rest of the track. It reminds me of the piano introduction in DAVICHI’s “This Love.” The instrumental isn’t too overwhelming and incorporates drums and a bass in addition to the piano beat in the chorus.

Although I don’t usually listen to girl groups too often, I found myself enjoying this album more than I would’ve expected. If you’re into more of a cute concept similar to groups like GFRIEND or WJSN, I suggest checking out this album and the rest of Cherry Bullet’s energetic discography.