As a casual Jeon Somi fan, I was thrilled to learn that she hinted at her next release at the recent KCON LA. Somi wasted no time: “Ice Cream” drops just a few days later.
Quite unexpectedly, “Ice Cream” is an English summer single, though it is not Somi’s first English song given her B-side, “Anyone”, from her debut album, XOXO. But quite expectedly, with a food item as the title, “Ice Cream” uses sexual innuendos and cute visuals to illustrate a flirtatious and playful relationship.
Somi compares herself to ice cream. She is sweet, tempting, and to be enjoyed. Like ice cream and butter, she is susceptible to the hot and cold of a relationship. Somi pushes and pulls to flirt with her crush. She, like the changing states of matter, wants him to “try [her]” while she’s in the right state as a sweet reward “only if [he has] been good”.
Lyrically, “Ice Cream” is less than impressive. Yes, it is a cute and fun summer single, but its lyrics are far from memorable. Instead, it feels like the same few lines are repeated throughout.
I’m like Ice cream
Ah yeah, Ah yeah
Only If you’ve been good
If it gets any hotter
I’ll be melting like butter
For what it is, the song has a simple and flat lyrics style of a nursery rhyme. The supposedly fun song starts to become not very fun. For an artist who’s more well-received in Korea, releasing an English single raises more questions than answers; a part of me wonders if “Ice Cream” could’ve been salvaged if it were in Korean instead.
Sonically, it doesn’t get any better. Many have said that “Ice Cream” is very “Meghan Trainor coded”. While this may be a fair comparison, “Ice Cream” lacks any catchy point. It has an empty chorus and the brass horns are overbearing. Just a third into the song, the sharp horn parts not only grow boring fast but are also unproductively repetitive.
As the instrumentals get louder in the outro, Somi attempts to get us to sing and dance along with the chant-like rhythm. However, as a song that’s a big question mark, it becomes awkward instead. Even though Somi appears to be having fun, this enjoyment fails to cross over to listeners. “Ice Cream” fails to get us to join in on the fun. It’s forgettable and at best, a slow-growing earworm with the many “Ah yeah ah yeah”s.
With an average of one comeback yearly, “Ice Cream” should have hit the spot. This summer single should be an appetizer before the big drop, her album. But it doesn’t seem to be working. For a soloist who has had good releases like “Dumb Dumb”, “XOXO”, and “Fast Forward”, “Ice Cream” feels regressive. Rather than a good build-up, it feels like a step backwards.
“Ice Cream” is forgettable and an odd choice for a pre-release. Considering the lukewarm response, thankfully, “Ice Cream” is only a pre-release. Whether a fan or a casual listener, many expected more from Somi. So here’s to hoping that Somi redeems herself with her album.
(Youtube[1]. Lyrics by Genius [1]. Images via TheBlackLabel.)
