Making a comeback in the K-Pop scene is never an easy task, especially for M.I.B who recently experienced a tragic event. They not only had to find the strength to cope, but find a way to salvage what was left of their promotions. The group has found the perfect way to do that with their newest track, "Only Hard For Me". The song allows them to pick up from where they left off with "Celebrate" while also remembering the deaths of their stylists who passed away recently with the heartfelt song.

While M.I.B's previous singles mostly comprised of party jams, "Only Hard For Me" is a down tempo, urban ballad. Think of it as a more serious, boy band approach to 2NE1's "In The Club". Lyrically the song is very straight forward, tinkering with themes of love and pain, as well as suggestions of death. "Only Hard For Me" also features a mixture of English and Korean lyrics in the chorus that may seem like a stretch at first, but eventually attribute to its addictive quality. It's probably the most honest single they've done, but also the most radio friendly as well that will appeal to a wide range of audience.



The only real drawback to mention with this single is that it lacks originality. The track itself is very strong in terms of composition, but as a product of pop music, the track fails to keep up with modern production, much like the rest of their catalog. Their choice of sound samples and instruments doesn't immediately strike interest to listeners like pop music should. In terms of production, "Only Hard For Me", can be described simply in one word - safe.

Although M.I.B may not have its sights set on becoming a cutting edge urban K-Pop boy band, they continuously deliver quality music to their audience. They have all the necessary elements to become a popular boy band, but what they need is polish. K-Pop is a very visual genre, dazzling with glitzy video sets, and frivolous, yet catchy hooks and sound. However, "Only Hard For Me" does prove that M.I.B is more versatile than expected, and capable of pulling off just about anything off the K-Pop spectrum. They have put out consistently good, but safe tracks, so we're just still waiting for them to impress us with something shocking enough to pique our interests.