REVIEW: JO1’s Animal Offers Plenty to Dance To, but Leaves Its Identity Unsettled

ANIMAL is JO1’s most recent EP. Featuring 6 tracks, it incorporates elements of dance, rock, rap, hip-hop, electronica, trap, and R&B. The band endeavors to further diversify as it explores different genres and uses a musical formula borrowed from American musical influences. Due to this, the EP feels quite mixed to me as a listener. Overall, I would recommend select songs from this EP, such as “SAKURA” and “ANIMAL,” which offer a glimpse of what JO1 would be like if it had a more distinctive musical identity. 

The first to be released was “ANIMAL,” a song which I understood as being about a man who yearns to be seen for his true character – one who is wild, untamed, and free. The loud bass, shouted vocals, and mid-to-high-tempo beat remind me of rave music, but with strong aspects of dance. But the lyrics are rather repetitive and predictable. To me, it’s not a song that connects to various aspects of the human psyche or emotions, but focuses only on the desire to rebel and escape confinement. As a song, it would resonate with those who are coming of age, such as preteens and adolescents, those testing boundaries, or those simply needing to vent about the restrictions placed on them. It’s a cathartic, fun, and feel-good song which aligns with youthfulness. 

“WHATCHA DOIN,” despite being a song about courtship, landed as quite rough and borderline aggressive to me due to its delivery. The tempo is very fast, the lyrics are repetitive, and an all-male arrangement of shouted voices brings to mind an era and dating culture in which men operate under heavy societal expectations to be assertive and to find a partner only through over-the-top displays of power and persistence. The video adds an interesting twist: it contains imagery of the band members as otherworldly beings roaming in the night under the full moon, alluding to creatures like werewolves and vampires. Overall, this is my least favorite song, partly because the overarching tones represent toxic masculinity to me, and partly because its rhythm and beat don’t offer enough freshness to hold my attention. 

My favorite song from the EP is “SAKURA.” To me, this song embraces Japanese heritage and culture while still being accessible to those outside it. The beat and tempo are fascinating, sitting somewhere between dance and rock, and this genre ambiguity makes it distinctive. Additionally, it clearly embodies the style of traditional anime theme songs for anyone familiar with them. 

Listening to it feels like the opening of a really thrilling, funny, fresh, and cool anime episode. While listening, I’m suddenly transported back to when I was into Comic-Con; I’m surrounded by colorful scenes, and I’m part of a longstanding anime fanbase. It reminds me of what I have always loved about Japanese popular culture! Of all the tracks, this is the one that most naturally brings together a recognizable cultural influence and an enjoyable listening experience. 

The two tracks, “DOWN” and “STATUS,” sound as though they have not only tried to draw inspiration from rap and trap music, but also to recreate those genres in a modern Japanese context. As a seasoned listener of hip-hop, I can appreciate that there is some decent rapping on a vocal level, even if the flow could be much stronger. However, the tempo and style feel very overdone, as they sound like thousands of other mainstream songs. Clichéd lyrics like “we’re here to turn down” and “hot gurl status” make me feel like I’ve stumbled into rap’s superficial, uninteresting sibling. To me, hip-hop tells original stories: shocking tales of crime, passion, love, loss, and tragedy. That’s what many of us fans connect with, and I’m not sure if JO1 got the memo! 

The final track, “THIS DAT FYAH,” is similar, as it replicates much of the late-1990s and early-2000s R&B music. Do you remember those songs where a male rapper delivered guttural, powerful verses while a female voice, sweet yet distinctive, interceded with a melody at regular intervals? Think “Stan” by Eminem and Dido. I appreciate this as a shout-out to those nostalgic songs, yet the artistry and execution leave much to be desired. It’s not as appealing as it could be, as the female voice isn’t very melodious, and the male rapping is neither emotive nor well articulated. Still, this track raises an interesting question: how much should Japanese artists try to draw from American musical influences? Is it inspiration or imitation? I’d have liked to hear JO1 bring more of their own identity to this particular sound. 

Overall, the EP has plenty of party tracks. I can imagine adding one or two tracks to a playlist for a gathering, even if the EP doesn’t offer the emotional depth I look for in a solo listening experience at home. And perhaps JO1’s strengths are its variety and the blend of various male voices in the rather large group (9 members). However, one does wonder: wouldn’t it be great if we had one or two distinctive vocal identities we associate with JO1? 

Ultimately, I loved the rock-and-dance mesh that makes “SAKURA” and “ANIMAL” so appealing, along with the mid-to-high tempos and distinctive bass. And despite my pointing out the mimicry of hip-hop subgroups and its overused formulas, the EP still has truly enjoyable listening moments, and I can see that there’s a vision worth developing. For me, I hope to see JO1 on their next EP being just as daring and entertaining, but perhaps more distinct as artists. 

JO1’s ANIMAL EP is out now.