Review: K-pop’s newest girl group YOUNG POSSE explores the limits of novelty

A new player is entering the K-pop ring. It’s YOUNG POSSE, composed of five members — Sunhye, Yeonjung, Jiana, Doeun and Jieun.

The quintet made their debut last week on 18 Oct with their first EP, Macaroni Cheese (2023).

For most debuts, idols may opt for a girl crush or charismatic concept to impress. After all, it’s the first time the group is meeting the public, and they want to show all that they’ve got.

YOUNG POSSE doesn’t play the game that way.

Instead, they drop a song that’s all about, well, macaroni and cheese.

As unserious as that sounds, the song has a unique hook that makes you want to continue streaming, even though the girls are just whispering about food throughout the whole track. I’m trapped under their allure, and I cannot fathom why too.

Now, the thing about YOUNG POSSE is that they have their unique sound, one that’s not quite mainstream per se. It’s an acquired taste if you would. And fans have also drawn similarities between the girls and other groups like NCT and XG.

Inevitably, some will find their music fitting to their liking. But others may look past its novelty.

If we look at the bigger picture though, the girls, with the oldest member being only 19 and the youngest 13 (which in itself has drawn quite a bit of flak) have achieved quite a feat. It’s safe to say that they have ample room for growth.

Other than the food-themed title number, they have an introductory track POSSE UP! (2023), which may cause some to raise their eyebrows because of their pronunciation.

OTB (2023) and Cooing (2023), the other two tracks in the album, return to a more mainstream sound. These tracks affirm that the girls are a pretty talented bunch in all, but perhaps their concept and strategy need some reworking.