Autumn may be on its way for those of us in the northern hemisphere, but there's just enough time left to squeeze out one more summer anthem before things cool off too much. Who would have thought it'd be B.A.P bringing us a perky pop-rock love song?

I've read a few criticisms of "Crash" (created by production duo Duble Sidekick) from B.A.P fans who feel like this song is too "common" for the group, that any ol' boy band could have done this song, and that it isn't special enough for B.A.P. However, I'm going to have to politely disagree.



Yes, the song is more typically pop-sounding compared to their previous singles, though it does fit with their recent non-singles "Goodbye" and "Dancing in the Rain". It also defies K-Pop convention by utilizing an instrumental track that sounds like it could be played by a live band. Yes, it strays from many of B.A.P's signature elements- there's no social message and no aggression- but if they'd put out another fight-the-system song, everyone would be complaining that they'd fallen into a rut. The rapping is much tamer than usual, and we even hear some half singing/whispering from Yong Guk, an a little singing from Zelo. Daehyun isn't belting out huge, impressive notes- in fact, the biggest notes go to their often underappreciated second vocalist, Youngjae. The choreography is much simpler than anything we've seen from this group, and is full of random aegyo, sight gags, and in-jokes with the fans. "Crash" is different for them, but that's the point.

B.A.P has proven to us with absolutely certainty that they own their particular dark-and-aggressive image. They easily could have chosen another song of chaos and anarchy, and that song probably would have been great. They even could have rearranged the other new addition on the repackage, Yong Guk's predebut song "I Remember", for the entire band, and used that as the single.

"I Remember" is dark and angry enough to fit in with their established image. It would have made an impressive performance- B2ST's Yoseob, the original vocalist on the song, is an intimidating voice to follow, and Daehyun is one of few who can actually pull it off. "I Remember" would be a little different from what we've seen from the band without straying too far from their previous releases.

But where's the fun in being predictable?

B.A.P needed "Crash". Like fellow rookies NU'EST did with "Not Over You", B.A.P needed to remind us that they're more than the image we've come to know; they're still really new to K-Pop and and not ready to be stuck in one tiny pigeon-hole for the rest of their careers. History has shown us that the best time for any band to shake things up is when the fans think they know exactly what to expect. B.A.P isn't looking to change the face of K-Pop at large with "Crash", but they are breaking new ground for themselves as a band, and letting us know they've got more tricks up their sleeves that we've yet to see.

If "Crash" isn't your cup of tea, don't worry because I'm sure the warrior image we all know and love will be back soon enough. Until then, there's nothing wrong with B.A.P having a little fun and reminding us that they still have some surprises in store.



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