After much anticipation, THE BLACK LABEL officially debuted their new girl group MEOVV with the debut single “MEOW”. With an abundance of talent and beauty, combined with the fact that they are under the guidance of Teddy – the producer behind global girl group BLACKPINK – the public had high expectations for MEOVV’s debut. The group was even dubbed “BLACKPINK 2.0” for their well-rounded talent and looks, comparable to their seniors.
However, after their debut single “MEOW” was released, the rookie group’s debut song received mixed reactions. From underwhelming achievements to the music crafted by Teddy, which failed to create a positive impact. Most recently, IZM, the largest music review site in Korea, published an article reviewing MEOVV’s debut track and awarded it only a 1-star rating.
Specifically, IZM expressed disappointment that cat sounds dominated most of the song “MEOW”, “swallowing up” the members’ vocals. The song was also deemed a regrettable effort compared to the successful works that producer Teddy had created in the past: “The meaningless meowing that lasts up to one minute in a song under three minutes long feels forced and exhausting for listeners, repeating in the intro, outro, and even in the chorus and rap parts.“
“More importantly, it completely overshadows the vocals of the group’s key members. While Teddy might not have composed the song, it is unfortunate that this is the first track from the first girl group launched by his company.“
IZM also gave sharp criticism regarding the music in “MEOW”: “The combination of bass and drum sounds becomes even more muted when paired with the identical structure of two vocal phrases. The last 30 seconds featuring the dance segment further diminishes any lasting impression. The monotonous rhythm, unintelligible and repetitive lyrics, feel empty. This is due to the ‘greed’ of trying to convey both a message and an image, but neither was delivered fully.“
“However, a bright spot in the song is Gawon’s vocals. Nevertheless, the song is too weak to showcase the strengths of each member. Why is a fast-paced song that will soon be forgotten considered more important than good music that makes listeners want to replay it?“
After IZM’s article was published, the K-netizens had many mixed reactions. The majority of comments echoed the disappointment with Teddy and MEOVV’s debut. Initially, netizens had high expectations for a true “BLACKPINK little sister” group with an explosive debut track, but when the MV was released, it left them “completely disappointed.”
The music did not leave much of an impression, and the rap segment was compared unfavorably to other rookie groups debuting around the same time, lacking the unique “flavor” they expected. The choreography was also not outstanding enough to highlight each member’s skills. The vocals of MEOVV’s five members were criticized for being too similar, with no one standing out significantly except for Gawon, as mentioned by IZM.
Despite this, other opinions defended the song, claiming that while MEOW has not “hit the roof” yet, it is still worth listening to. Especially, the group’s live performances have garnered a fair amount of praise from the netizens.