After their first No. 1 on the K-Pop Hot 100 with “What’s Your Name?,” 4Minute announced they would extend their hot streak with further promotions. That came in the form of new single “Is It Poppin’?,” produced by Brave Brothers, who also honed the aforementioned No. 1.
Brave Brothers uses a similar formula for 4Minute’s new track, but it all feels smoother. “What’s Your Name?” was a mash of tribal drums, electronic bleeps and distorted vocals. “Is It Poppin’?” uses subdued snares, a twinkling Ellie Goulding “Lights”-esque sample and a soft, recurring vocal sample. Despite sounding busy on paper, the song flows nicely together as a sweet little blend of R&B and electro-pop.
The video is also more subdued than “What’s Your Name?” The girls are dressed in mostly casual clothes, rocking comfy pants and skirts. Though, the group’s main visual, “Gangnam Style” co-star HyunA, is dressed in skimpier clothing throughout, which undoubtedly helps up the video’s view count — already over two million in less than four days. Plus, watching sprinklers soak the girls in the club they dance in likely kept lots of viewers watching (and rewatching) until the end.
It took four weeks for “What’s Your Name?” to top the K-Pop Hot 100 — a rarity in South Korea as a single typically peaks in its first or second week. “Is It Poppin’?” plays off the similar formula, sonically, as their aforementioned No. 1, making the single one to watch as a possible anthem for this summer.