RIIZE have released their second single, Love 119, returning with a new concept that they deemed a ‘high school drama.’ Shotaro, the oldest of the group, even took to Weverse (a social media site dedicated to interacting with fans) to post four pictures of K-dramas he thought this comeback was most similar to. The concept was highly anticipated amongst fans as the group is known for bringing back past generation K-pop concepts, even referencing Exo’s Growl in a TikTok as they were similarly dressed in school uniforms.
The single samples Emergency Room by Izi, a song that was released back in 2005 as a part of the soundtrack for the K-drama Delightful Girl. Love 119 is an upbeat ballad about liking someone so much it kills you. Hence 119 referencing the emergency phone number. The main chorus repeats lines such as, ‘뺏긴 my heart that girl is a killer/love so good feels like a thriller/119, 119, save my life, save my life.’ RIIZE continues to make music that sounds fresh and new, no matter what the style of the song is. My favorite part is definitely the bridge, a part RIIZE has always impressed fans with. Sohee, a member best known for his memorable voice, shocked fans with his adlib high notes in the back.
The boy group currently only has four songs as they debuted just four months ago but have quickly risen in popularity. They are the first boy group from the 5th generation of K-pop to have entered the Top 10 of Melon Daily Chart. As RIIZE continues to release more music, I expect that we’ll see more huge accomplishments like this in the future.
