Like a refreshing September storm, INFINITE descended on the K-pop world with their sixth EP on Monday (Sept. 19). Released more than a year after 2015’s Reality, INFINITE Only features seven songs including lead single “The Eye,” or “Typhoon” as it’s known in Korean. The title track features the group's ever-evolving retrosynth style and their signature dance flair while the music video is a throwback to INFINITE’s earlier days.
Over the years, the group has carved a place out for itself as an innovative dance pop act, blending old-school electronic sounds with classically inspired elements. “The Eye” keeps INFINITE’s typical orchestral accompaniment with a particular focus on the haunting strings, melodic piano, and pounding beat, but then delves deeper into sounds the group has previously explored but never with such fervor. Most prominent is the EDM chorus and the disjointed vocal samplings, both of which producer BEE began weaving into the group’s more recent songs, most notably last year’s “Bad.” “The Eye” is also distinct from INFINTE’s prior singles for its lack of rap, forgoing the K-pop norm in favor of a show of INFINITE’s vocal prowess. Lead vocalists Sungkyu and Woohyun bear the brunt of the verses, but rappers Hoya and Dongwoo deliver sleek lines just as well, if not better, than the group's three sweet-toned sub vocalists (and subunit), L, Sungjong, and Sungyeol.