(G)I-DLE's 'Senorita': Bop or Flop?

(G)I-DLE came back with a fiery, sexy concept in their song, 'Senorita'! Let's take a look at why this song may have been a Bop or a Flop.

Why It's a Bop:

1. They solidify their identity while providing a fresh image.

(G)I-DLE has established their strong, powerful image in successful performances in 'LATATA' and 'HANN', so it seemed probable that they would come back with a similar style. In 'Senorita', they did just that but with a twist: implementing a Latin-themed sound. This resulted in a performance that seemed familiar to the badass (G)-IDLE we have grown to love, yet distinctly unique from other performances such as 'LATATA'.

To provide contrast, MOMOLAND's 'BAAM' was an attempt to solidify the upbeat, energetic style that they had introduced in 'BBOOM BBOOM'. However, many believed that 'BAAM' just ended up sounding like a carbon copy of 'BBOOM BBOOM', and the group received criticism for a lack of creativity. I think 'Senorita' helped solidify a concept, but it didn't fall into the trap of sounding more of just the same.

2. Holy stage presence!

Talk about a girl group with stage presence, because (G)I-DLE hands down has it. Stage presence is something that is usually nurtured over time, but this group seems to be owning every performance already. I'm going to highlight Soojin here because damn, that girl has presence. She knows her facial expressions, her dancing is fantastic, and her gestures are perfect, not lacking or excessive.

Besides pure stage presence, I just like how the girls were showcased. In 'Show Champion', each girl had their own time to shine and I really enjoyed Soyeon's little solo part with the microphone in the beginning. It was just some really good execution and I couldn't stop watching them.

3. That chorus is really catchy.

Not much to say here. As mentioned in Point #1, the producers did a good job in weaving the mainstream K-Pop style with some Latin influences in order to make this song memorable. The 'Senorita' voiceovers with the trumpets and dance break was a really nice addition to the song.

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Why It's a Flop:

1. Donde esta Shuhua?

Seriously, where did she go? In 'LATATA', she was basically invisible, but fans became more hopeful when they saw improvements in the line distribution for her in 'HANN'. But it seems like her lines have regressed once again in 'Senorita', where her solo parts mostly consisted of her just saying 'woah' a couple of times. At this point, it kind of seems like Shuhua is turning more into a liability (which really pains me to say, because I really love her and this group). She needs some solid lines that aren't just sound effects.

On a side note, I was a little bit disappointed with Soyeon's rap break. She's extremely talented but I felt her rap was a bit underwhelming. From a musical standpoint, it seemed like all of her bars were rhythmically identical and there wasn't a refreshing punch that made the rap really stand out. Soyeon may have had toned her rap down a little bit in order to fit the song better, but I wanted to see more of that 'alpha' image of hers to shine.

2. There wasn't a single, climatic point of the song I can point out.

This reason may be one of the more subjective points I will be making, but I think the closest thing to a 'climax' would probably have been when the 'Senorita' voiceovers play with the trumpets. However, I don't think there was a defining moment in the song in which I went,'Woah, I did not see that coming'. I expected that 'wow moment' to come from Soyeon's rap sequence, but that was a little underwhelming as explained before. The chorus was catchy but didn't have the punch it needed to make a powerful impression. 

So what do you think? Do you think "SENORITA" is a bop or a flop? Let us know below.