TXT has debuted with an upbeat and lighthearted song, "CROWN"! Let's take a look at why this song may be a Bop or a Flop.

Why It's a Bop:

1. Choreography x Charisma.

The choreography had a lot of intricate technicalities that required a real solid technique and sharp focus. One particular moment that left an impact was when the boys stuck out their hands in different directions and moved them in perfect timing, creating this really neat pattern of shapes that was visually appealing. Overall, the choreographer did a good job of designing a dance that was both uplifting and energetic.

In addition to their clear-cut choreography, I felt a great deal of charisma from the group. Each member knew how to look at the camera with confidence and together, they gave more of a comeback type of vibe rather than a group that had just debuted. 

2. The MV is well-made.

For a song that seemed to be going for a minimalistic theme, the "CROWN" MV surprised me in a good way. There was a lot of really good camera work and animations that really helped to make the video pop and capture each of the member's charms. For instance, the bullet-time effects (when multiple angles of the boys, similar to the bullet dodge scene in 'The Matrix') and stop-motion (where the boys seem like they're moving around rapidly) camera techniques really kept things interesting for the audience. The glowing effects (the horns, glowing circles, etc) also added another dimension of visual appeal and seemed to make the MV more lively and interesting to watch.

3. The Story.

There is little context of TXT's 'horn concept' that you can derive from watching the MV alone, but this Mnet video helps connect the dots. At the beginning of the video above, we are introduced to the story of 'The Boy with the Horns' (hence, CROWN), who meets the 'The Boy with the Wings' (most likely BTS) and eventually grows to love himself. This type of narrative-based performances is nothing new coming from BigHit Entertainment; BTS also had interesting stories that made the 'LOVE YOURSELF' movement more engaging and appealing to audiences. TXT seems to be following a similar formula, and it seems to be working: the video is #42 trending in the U.S.

Why It's a Flop:

1. The song is pretty generic.

Although there were some musical aspects that were interesting, the song ended up sounding like another generic pop song with some heavy synth sounds to make the bass pop a little more. The chord progression was also quite ordinary and followed a very conventional 'nice-to-listen' type of sound. Judging from the song production alone, it wasn't really impressive for me.

Lyrics-wise, the song was much more interesting. Thanks to the additional story plot, there seemed to be a lot more meaning that we can associate the song to.

2. No memorable vocal/rap performance.

Though I think the song as a whole came together well, I didn't really feel any 'wow' in a particular individual's vocal or rap talents. I'm not saying that they're bad singers or rappers. It's simply the fact that none of them really stood out to me musically.

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