Although I’m aware that Jeon Somi had unsuccessful beginnings in Mnet reality survival show Sixteen (which formed the K-Pop girl group Twice), and later found success with temporary K-Pop girl group I.O.I. Admittedly, Jeon Somi wasn’t on my radar until 2019, when she released solo debut song ‘Birthday’ (one of her best), an anthem I shamelessly play every year on my own birthday.
Now in her first comeback for 2024, Somi has returned with her summer digital single, ‘Ice Cream’. Perfect for the summer season, ‘Ice Cream’ feels celebratory, fun, free, and is a party anthem honestly fitting for any day of the week, any season even! After all, ice-cream isn’t a dessert limited to the summertime.
Somehow, Somi always manages to unleash songs that are catchy, flirty, feisty, feminine, a little bit sassy and all fabulous, and she’s done it again with ‘Ice Cream’. The song makes you want to get up and dance! Upbeat, yet still matching her vocal tone, ‘Ice Cream’ is contagious from the start and will have you addicted from its melody hook alone.
As much as it is catchy though, ‘Ice Cream’ leaves little room for Somi to vocally play with due to its restrictive, repetitive one-tone design. The song doesn’t really go anywhere and what you see (or hear, essentially) is what you get. It would have been nice to have a break-down in the song, like a bridge. However, if “fun simple summer song” was the brief, then the composers and producers have definitely nailed it with this one.
‘Ice Cream’ is just a good time. Retro, colourful, cheeky, attractive, and injected with a sense of humour, music video wise, the choreography is also mesmerising. I mean, I wish I could shake my shoulders like that! If the clip wasn’t colourful and entertaining enough to amuse and delight you, there’s also an appearance from ‘Mr Ice Cream‘, famous Korean actor Park Seo-joon who is as handsome as he is talented. Honestly, seeing him being all cute on-screen with Somi, both working for the camera, was a happy surprise.
There’s a lot to love about Jeon Somi’s ‘Ice Cream’. It grows on you, comfortably sits with the rest of her discography, and is a good summer tune that is certain to be a K-Pop classic for many. But really, it is just great to have a new original song from Somi again.
For more information on Jeon Somi, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/somsomi0309
https://www.instagram.com/theblacklabel
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7zYj9S9SdIunYCfSm7vzAR
