K-Pop Double Take is a weekly review column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.
There are a variety of musical styles the seven-man K-pop boy band iKON try on throughout their debut release "Welcome Back," released in partial form on Oct. 1, before the other five of the album's 11 tracks were added for a full album unveiled on Christmas Eve.
From the hard-edged modern hip-hop of "Rhythm Ta" to the high-energy electro of the club anthem "Dumb & Dumber" or the breezy pop of "Today," there is no shortage of idiomatic paths iKON could walk down.
But it is on the album's title track "Welcome Back" that iKON really seems to hit their stride, grabbing hold of the song's slinky groove and nailing it to the wall. It is when the group taps into their clear collective love of soulful R&B that both the singers and rappers of the group really shine.
Originally formed to compete against another boy band on powerhouse Korean record label YG Entertainment's 2013 reality show "WIN: Who Is Next?" the future of iKON (or "Team B" as they were known on the television program) hung in the balance after they lost the contest. The following year, following intense pressure from fans, one of whom even started a "Don't Disband Team B" petition which received over 16,000 signatures on the website Change.org, Team B was featured on another reality show "Mix & Match," which retooled the lineup into its current form.
And though there are surely some Team B fans that probably pine for the original lineup, with "Welcome Back," iKON has shown they are not simply some reality show construct. The group also has a secret weapon in the songwriting team of frontman B.I and his bandmate Bobby who were involved in every composition on the record.
With the sizzling horns and an irresistible hook of the title track it is clear these two gifted writers learned a thing or two during their hard-fought time under the TV lights.
Breathe easy Team B fans; the future looks bright for iKON.
Listen to "Welcome Back," South Korean boy band iKON's first full-length album, RIGHT HERE
