Tattooed in Our Hearts: A Review of The Boyz Japanese Debut "Tattoo!"

When we see The Boyz, we're apt to think of their knife-life, synchronized choreography, catchy choruses that stay in our heads for days, and bright, boyish visuals. With "Tattoo," The Boyz are taking a step away from the innocent and sweet likes of "Bloom Bloom" and "Boy" and into darker and tenser visuals, while still remaining the captivating performers we know and love.

This foray into darker visuals marks The Boyz's Japanese debut, as the track heads their THE BOYZ JAPAN 1st Mini Album Tattoo. The music video intersperses psychedelic, neon-colored industrial vibes with haunting eye contact shots from the members of The Boyz. Their gaze, as well as the song's layering of vocals, is filled with longing. (As The Boyz's first release after the departure of member Hwall due to personal reasons, many Deobi's longing gazes were likely directed towards him.)

We're brought once again under The Boyz's spell for a synth-filled chorus. The Boyz simply wouldn't be The Boyz without mesmerizing dance moves completely in sync, and the hard-hitting choreography of "Tattoo" gives us exactly that.

Kevin's sweet vocals in English lead us into a slower, tense bridge section – before the drums kick back into ignition under Sunwoo's spitfire raps, culminating in a moment of shaking silence before jumping back into the haunting chorus.

"What am I supposed to do?" Jacob sings as he stares longingly at the camera. We're asking the same – what are we supposed to do after knowing that The Boyz has released yet another bop to be added to our heavy rotation, and to be stuck in our head for the rest of the year?

(The answer: stream, stream, stream, and love and support The Boyz as much as possible.)

Check out the video below: