It’s no secret that a bad contract with a bad company can spell disaster for an artist, no matter how successful or talented. Especially in the agency-dominated realm of K-pop, there are plenty of horror stories that attest to this bitter fact. Even among the legions, however, Chungha’s travails stand out.
For much of the late 2010s and early 2020s, Chungha was one of the most recognizable female soloists in K-pop, earning due praise for her versatility, stage presence, and of course, dancing prowess. In July 2022, she released Bare & Rare and its title track “Sparkling,” advertised as part one of a two-part album. Then, the months ticked by with radio silence. By early 2023, a clearer picture emerged of the situation: For inexplicable reasons, Chungha’s longtime agency was declining to release or promote her music. Fortunately, her contract with them expired in April 2023, but significant damage had already been done. Given K-pop’s lightning-fast attention span, a nine-plus month hiatus is no laughing matter.
In the aftermath, Chungha understandably took time to consider her next steps carefully, ultimately opting to continue pursuing music, this time under Jay Park’s More Vision. Her return with single “Eenie Meenie” thus marks her first music release in twenty months. After what she’s been through, it would have been understandable to return with something introspective, even sobering. That’s not “Eenie Meenie.” Instead, the brash single sees Chungha defiantly claiming the spotlight like she never left, seizing the high stakes moment with electrifying confidence.
“Eenie Meenie” announces itself as no wallflower from its first second, hitting listeners with a downright dirty bassline that serves as the track’s main touchstone throughout. The MV is also striking from the jump, despite not necessarily reinventing the wheel: a performance-focused MV that makes liberal use of industrial buildings and street style fashion is nothing that hasn’t been seen before. That being said, the quality of each of the MVs many sets, all with their own fully realized color palette, styling, and mood, creates an immersive world. It’s a world you want to enter because Chungha, radiating charisma and staring through the camera like she can see into your soul, is the one inviting you in.
Nonchalantly rotating through fabulous outfits, and absolutely nailing the snippets of choreography presented, Chungha is one thousand percent in charge, commanding attention even amidst a sea of backup dancers. She knows it, too:
Oh I, I know what I like
It’s simple, there’s no doubt
I just pick ’em out like
Mmmm Eenie Meenie
The idea of “I know what I like” seems to manifest in “Eenie Meenie” through the presence of subtle ghosts of Chungha hits past. Musically, the track is a more sophisticated child of “Bicycle,” Chungha’s prior foray into hip hop influences. The crystal-clear vocals which characterized early songs like “Roller Coaster” and “Gotta Go” also make a strong appearance in the standout pre-chorus for “Eenie Meenie.” Visually, her continued innovative use of backup dancers, particularly through dramatic lifts, calls to mind past tracks like “Stay Tonight.” None of these nods are explicit—or perhaps even particularly intentional—but their cumulative effect is to place “Eenie Meenie” solidly in Chungha’s career continuity. Chungha’s still-growing legacy as a skilled industry veteran has a place in this brave new world.
The future, however, seems to be Chungha’s focus in “Eenie Meenie,” especially lyrically:
You’re in the past
I don’t have time for that
Ladies we keep it movin’
Movin’ forward with no regrets
The recognition of a less-than-ideal past, and a refusal to be bogged down by it, hovers throughout “Eenie Meenie.” It even shows up in the song’s feature, a seamlessly interwoven rap (especially, in a minor miracle, choreographically) from Ateez’s Honjoong:
Timing quickly slips away
No time to stutter, go make your mark
In the midst of problems, you’ll likely respond frustrated
Despite how we may look, when the moment comes, we take actions with our Mic
Just go for it, Regrets, no thanks
Hongjoong’s rap perhaps best captures what makes “Eenie Meenie” feel so confident: the combination of a no-rush ease with bold seize-the-day touches. The song itself could be described as slow, yet its insistent rhythms, including a quirky and fascinating squeaky dance break, demand attention. When she’s not dancing, Chungha spends the MV lounging and strutting. When she is dancing, the choreography has a laconic quality punctuated by cheeky point moves, a style that particularly stands out in a time when most K-pop dances aim to impress through speed and energy.
Despite its individuality “Eenie Meenie” doesn’t entirely escape conventionality. The song’s second verse includes a rap section that feels like a paint-by-numbers K-pop move. Chungha does a perfectly fine job delivering the lines, but it’s a waste of space, especially given Hongjoong’s excellent rap feature less than a minute later. “Eenie Meenie” also goes for a final chorus switch-up, another textbook songwriting choice. Theoretically, this could have worked, adding some finale spice to the track’s minimalism. Unfortunately, the change-up itself is a letdown, sacrificing the signature beat for a weak chant-style refrain.
Despite these quibbles, “Eenie Meenie” is phenomenal. What truly elevates it is that stellar confidence is not its only note; It co-exists with something that can only be described as unease. It’s there in the decidedly minor key of the track. It’s also present in the MV’s unique camera angles which are sometimes oddly obscuring or uncomfortably close. Cuts piecing together the same choreography shots in different locations will bounce in and out of close and far focus, a jolt amidst the smooth editing that adds dynamism, but also limits comfort.
Most theatrically, two masked and bejeweled figures, one in silver and one in black, stalk down streets and hallways. Whether the black-clad figure is defiantly lumbering towards the source of the red sniper dots covering them, or the silver dancer is whimsically dueting with Chungha, the figures are playful yet intimidating, their exact symbolism unclear. Are they stand-ins for the troubles that have plagued Chungha, lingering tauntingly in the background? Are they actually representative of Chungha, a reminder that her power isn’t inherently benevolent? Is Chungha herself the one behind the mask, or is it one of her supporting performers? “Eeenie Meenie” doesn’t provide concrete answers, but the tonal ambiguity personified by these figures is a stroke of brilliance that upgrades the track from good to great.
“Eenie Meenie” marks Chungha’s long-anticipated return with a confident bang. In its catchy embrace, Chungha isn’t the jaded or reflective performer she has every right to be. Instead, she’s so unbothered by her roadblocks it’s like they never existed in the first place.
If she chooses to musically revisit her experiences in the future, that will be welcome and no doubt equally enthralling. For now, though, it is an inspiring delight to see her unbroken conviction in who she is: a performer at the prime of her swagger, skill, and daring, ready to sweep the world.
(NME, Star News, YouTube[1][2]. Lyrics via YouTube. Images via More Vision.)
