Plus Magazine

| Written by Park soojin (Editor for the music webzine IZM)

In September 2023, the boy group RIIZE made their entrance into the music world. Their debut marked the first in three years since the introduction of aespa, a senior idol group known for singing ‘Next level’ and leaving a significant mark in the K-pop scene with AI and virtual world concepts. It was also the first group presented by SM Entertainment in seven years since the senior boy group NCT. Therefore, the public's interest in this new SM-branded group was intense. Well-known internal changes in the management of SM Entertainment also contributed to the significant attention these newcomers received. Departing from the previous system of revealing one member each day, SM Entertainment displayed its confidence in this new group by making the bold move of announcing all members at once.

The outcome was crystal clear and flawless. RIIZE quickly climbed to the upper echelons of the charts right from their debut. Their journey began with ‘Memories,’ the pre-debut single from their initial release [Get A Guitar]. The single, created with contributions from SM's renowned lyricist and composer KENZIE, who is credited with numerous hits like BoA's ‘Garden in the Air,’ GIRLS' GENERATION's ‘Into The New World,’ and Red Velvet's ‘Psycho,’ encapsulated RIIZE's vibrant and refreshing appeal perfectly. In the essence of RIIZE's style, it was a true reflection of the ‘Emotional Pop’ genre's energy.

The distinct genre of Emotional Pop, which conveys a spectrum of emotions through songs, is the keyword that defines RIIZE's music. Similar to how SHINee branded themselves as a contemporary band in their early days, and how numerous idol groups of today, like NMIXX with MIXX POP and STAYC with Teen Fresh, define their music, RIIZE uses the term Emotional Pop to describe their musical orientation. This term closely resonates with their group name, RIIZE, providing a more vivid image to listeners.

A name created by combining ‘Rise,’ meaning ‘to grow,’ with ‘Realize,’ meaning ‘to make a dream come true,’ signifying ‘a team that grows together and realizes dreams’

Uncommon for idol groups, they all debuted as adults, with members born between 2000 and 2004, just entering their early twenties. Their pledge to pursue and express through music the emotions they encounter while achieving their dreams gains a symbolic significance when it aligns with the essence of their team name.

Therefore, with lyrics that start as ‘Me as a kid would declare I’m a star / Lonely as Mars / Heart and soul went into our memories, that smile in those snapshots, It’s all you’ and a chorus that goes ‘Don’t wanna waste / All these meanings / Hold tight and dream on / It's what I love the most / You with me, our Memories,’ this song was impeccably perfect for warming up the beginning of RIIZE. The song, centered around an easy and melodic synthesizer and enhanced with the refreshing sound of an electric guitar, not only achieved mainstream appeal but also showcased a multi-dimensional charm with a hip-hop mood break in the latter half.

If ‘Memories’ is a gentle, vibrant ode to youth, the performance video track ‘Siren’ shows off a dynamic performance in the classic SMP vein. In its brief duration of just over a minute, the song delivers an intensity reminiscent of Seo Taiji's ‘Come Back Home,’ indicating that RIIZE's dreams are not merely grounded in purity. They skillfully blend a yearning for dreams and a youthful image with meticulously strong dance movements, thereby confidently asserting their capabilities as prepared performers.

Their debut single title, ‘Get A Guitar,’ perfectly etched RIIZE into the scene. The data from the charts alone was impressive. Not only did they reach the 16th spot on Melon’s daily, weekly, and monthly charts, recording the highest position among debut groups of 2023, but they also surpassed 30 million streams on Spotify, ranked first on iTunes Top Songs chart and in the TOP10 across 20 regions worldwide, and topped Apple Music’s October monthly chart for popular songs in South Korea, as well as consecutively ranking first for two weeks on China’s QQ Music Korean music weekly chart. As a rookie group, RIIZE remarkably dominated the charts both domestically and internationally that year.

However, what truly made their popularity tangible was the trend they set on short-form platforms like TikTok. The ‘Get a Guitar Challenge,’ which involved dancing to the catchy ‘Get get get get a guitar’ part of the song, achieved 300 million views on TikTok. Even four months after the song's release, the enthusiasm for the Get a Guitar Challenge shows no signs of waning. Notably, a recent challenge featuring member ANTON and his father Yoon Sang garnered immense love not just from fans but also from the wider public.

The ‘Get a Guitar Challenge’ garnered significant popularity due to the song's widespread appeal. In essence, the track shares the same strengths as ‘Memories’ and can be summarized as being both easy and clear. By boldly excluding rap and performance parts, it captivates instantly with a funky, retro melody driven by synthesizers and electric guitars. Departing from the more niche genre shades and complex worldviews of their senior groups aespa and NCT, RIIZE thus bridged the gap with the general public.

Without a complex narrative or genre barriers, and starting with its title that prominently features a guitar, RIIZE succeeded in building a solid fanbase with this track. This method of highlighting an instrument continued with their follow-up single ‘Talk Saxy’. Though not as impactful as ‘Get A Guitar,’ this song, which incorporates part of the word saxophone, showed enough craftsmanship to solidify RIIZE's position. The bursting of stiff air unique to the woodwind saxophone, combined with 808 drum sounds, gave birth to a unique hip-hop track.

Having showcased their youthful charm with ‘Memories’ and a trendy, vibrant soul with ‘Talk Saxy,’ they made a comeback early in the new year with ‘Love 119,’ encapsulating the soft feelings of first love. In terms of music, this song leans more towards the purity found in ‘Memories’ rather than the pronounced retro rhythm of ‘Get A Guitar’. They brought an emotionally resonant pop song with a distinct mood by sampling ‘Emergency Room,’ a beloved hit by the band izi from a 2005 drama OST. A notable feature of this track is the focus on vocal harmonies. Continuing from ‘Memories,’ the group emphasizes the unity among the members, evident in the extensive use of a cappella, layered choruses, and choir-like segments where all members participate, thereby accentuating the collective image of the team rather than highlighting individual members.

Another striking feature is their first foray into singing about the emotion of ‘love’. They achieved this by bringing the piano sound to the forefront and placing a misty, echoing synthesizer in the background, creating a nostalgic yet gentle mood, marking a distinctive stance. The song evokes memories of TVXQ!'s 2006 remake of Five Fingers' ‘Balloon’ and NCT DREAM's 2022 rendition of H.O.T.'s ‘Candy,’ demonstrating RIIZE's adeptness at weaving the theme of love into their exploration of Emotional Pop.

Striking a balance between retro allure and contemporary trends, and blending nostalgia with freshness, RIIZE is expanding its reach from the usual K-pop boy group fanbase to a broader mainstream audience. From ‘Memories’ to ‘Love 119,’ the terrain that RIIZE treads upon transcends specific eras and generations.

※ Manuscripts from outside writers may not reflect the editorial direction of this magazine.