Having worked with the likes of BTS, TXT and GFRIEND during her stint as an in-house songwriter and producer for Big Hit Music, Adora certainly set a high bar for herself, years before actually making her debut as a singer. But the talented 24-year-old has finally stepped out of the background and into the spotlight with the kitschy and fun pop song ‘Make U Dance’, featuring Eunha of VIVIZ.
‘Make U Dance’ makes for an enchantingly gratifying listen. That’s thanks to its dissonant, unpredictable alt-pop sound, coupled with syrupy-sweet vocals by Adora and former GFRIEND member Eunha. Its ethereal, dreamy vibe is also notably fondly reminiscent of well-loved hits she had previously conjured up for BTS, such as ‘134340’ and ‘Seesaw’.
Then there’s the fantastic music video, inspired by the 2017 Japanese comedy zombie film One Cut Of The Dead, that brings to life the underlying eerie undertones of ‘Make U Dance’ while still complementing the more tongue-in-cheek elements of the song. Fuse those two elements together, and Adora looks like she has a winning debut single on her hands.
However, where ‘Make U Dance’ falters is a lack of an attempt to establish the immensely talented singer-producer’s unique musical identity as she wanders out from the safety of being behind-the-scenes. Despite the skillful production and charming vocals showcased in ‘Make U Dance’, the disorienting alt-pop offering fails to allow listeners to truly take a dive into who Adora is as an artist.
Eunha is a welcome addition on ‘Make U Dance’, her delightful and captivating voice shines brightest in the song’s haunting pre-chorus (“A rainbow appears on my heart, on my mind / Oh, everything is like flowers, oh my my, oh my gosh”). But the K-pop idol, whose voice most would be familiar with here, unfortunately gets overshadowed by Adora on what should be her time in the spotlight.
The very nature of the track itself also leaves little room for any particularly outstanding vocal moments. Its lullaby-esque chorus of “la la la”’s, while incredibly infectious, is a safe choice that prevents either artist from truly delivering on ‘Make U Dance’. But perhaps that was a very intentional choice, as the song manages to leave a lasting impression because of its chorus – so make of that what you will.
‘Make U Dance’ is ultimately a captivating and artfully crafted track, as expected from Adora. However, its inability to reflect her talent – which she is undeniably brimming with – is slightly disappointing as the anticipated debut solo release from the up-and-comer. Having long established her prowess as a songwriter for other artists, one can only hope that Adora will soon find her footing as a soloist in the future.
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