What’s that we hear faintly in the distance? Is that the sound of summer faintly creeping in as the months go by? Why yes it is, and WJSN are doing their part to herald in the hopefully warmer months by giving us ‘Boogie Up,’ an upbeat dance track with enough sun and sea to get those of us in UK through the drizzly days. Taking a break from their usual galaxy defending, the girls hit the beach to celebrate summer. But it’s not just the members present that are taking a break. The China line – made of Cheng Xiao, Meiqi, and Xuanyi – are absent from promotions this time around. So do the Cosmic Girls suffer from the temporary loss of their lucky thirteen members? Not at all. They’re a burst of energy and colour on screen, and whilst it can be said that the song and concept are a little generic compared to some of their previous efforts, they certainly match well with summer fun.
You’d be forgiven for perhaps thinking that Boogie up is a song from Twice. The style is incredibly similar to some hits such as Likey and Dance the Night Away; a mixture between the two. The beat is light but fast paced, nearly frantic at times. It’s perfectly high energy for the summer, if not a little sugary. There are some nice moments with the vocals, but for the most part the melody line is simple, with small chants and easy hooks. It’s infectious and all ten girls put in such effort to make the sound really work for them.
Compared to their previous releases, this soundscape is undeniably different. Whether or not it takes away from their unique identity is debatable. But a departure from the norm can be great for shaking things up a bit. Considering the three members missing, it’s nice that they haven’t stuck to their style amongst their absence.
The saturation is turned up to the max here, and it makes for some beautiful scenes. There’s no missing the vibrant burst of colour, the blue of the sky and sea, the bright clothes all the members wear. The storyline is just as bright, if minimal. A summer holiday, shots of the swimming pool, interspersed with the choreography against the cloudless sky. Later, darker scenes at a night time party, illuminated with glow sticks add some needed contrast without bringing the tone of the video down. It’s a perfect picture of long summer days and summer nights, endless partying and happiness. It’s unashamedly a summer song with a video to match, and the group has completely embraced this. And it’s just as infectious to watch!
