EVERGLOW, for better or worse, stick with what they know on ‘Slay’

It has been 624 days since EVERGLOW put out new music – their previous release was December 2021’s ‘Return of the Girl’, led by the polarising single ‘Pirate’ – practically a lifetime in the K-pop world. In this time, the landscape of K-pop has been changed by powerhouse female K-pop acts such as IVE, LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans, who have arguably ushered in a new era of girl group dominance.

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After being away for so long, the question is: Do EVERGLOW still have a place in this new world? The six-member group set out to answer this with their new single album ‘All My Girls’, led by the EDM-influenced single ‘Slay’. Here, they return to their well-worn girl crush concept, a message of female empowerment wrapped up in booming future bass beats, incredibly layered production and an addictive “na na na” chorus.

The song fits perfectly next to the girl group’s older discography, but that puts them in a precarious, complex predicament. While it speaks to their dedication to maintain and perfect a cohesive, signature sound, it’s also getting too familiar – there are only so many unique electro-pop sounds one can conjure up. Against other stronger tracks they’ve released so far, from ‘La Di Da’ to ‘Bon Bon Chocolat’, ‘Slay’ lacks a distinct presence.

The lyrics tread EVERGLOW’s usual ethos of power, autonomy and the importance of taking charge, but doesn’t go beyond that. Lines like “Find me in the thick fog / I know this is the good thing / I want it, time for the chance / My own pace” show there’s potential for the song to be more multidimensional, but largely feels like the girl group are just trying to play catch-up.

The B-sides on ‘All My Girls’, however, are diamonds in the rough. ‘Oh Ma Ma God’ is slower, gentler and much more intimate – it’s something we have seen before from EVERGLOW, but it feels perfected here. The instrumentation, characterised by tinges of dream pop and gentle guitar chords, allow the girl group to adequately show off their vocal ability, especially so in the bridge where Sihyeon and Mia’s falsettos steal the show.

Meanwhile, ‘Make Me Feel’ is a nod to the pop music of the early-2010s, reminiscent of mid-tempo classics by the likes of Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry or Tove Lo. That nostalgia really hits once the chorus comes crashing, introducing synths that wouldn’t be out of place on Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’. It’s a new and interesting sound for EVERGLOW, who not only successfully bring us back to an era of great pop music, while adding their own spin to it.

EVERGLOW have always commanded a strong presence within the realm of K-pop, standing out as a girl group that openly champions feminist ideals while delivering high-energy, high-quality music. However, as trends change and tastes evolve, they seem to have forgotten to adapt that message for this new landscape of K-pop. It’s great to finally have EVERGLOW back, but for them to stay, they’d need to mature beyond what they presented on ‘Slay’.

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