Maybe she… snapped. (Maybe not.)
[Video]
[5.50]
Jessica Doyle: With the caveat that I know next to nothing about music production and engineering, I don’t like how this is mixed — in the chorus, when Chung Ha goes high her voice seems indistinguishable from the instrumental behind it, and there’s not enough percussion underpinning the whole structure. The video comes off as if the choreographer was instructed to convince the viewer that the song has a rhythmic propulsion it actually lacks.
[4]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: It’s a bit too stiff and labored over despite everything sounding fine. I wish this thing would actually snap–it sounds like it’s constantly hinting at a release that never actually happens.
[4]
Will Adams: Manages for the most part to be far more innovative ’00s pastiche than those who’re content to just replicate it. Until that void of a post-chorus sucks all the energy out of the room.
[6]
Kylo Nocom: “Snapping” makes fantastic work of the Darkchild template; the delectable R&B synth plucks and tense strings of the verses are a perfect lead-in to the explosive belts of the chorus. The bass-heavy hook does threaten to verge into the sonic territory of, like, “FRIENDS”, but Chung Ha’s vocals are comfortable and evocative enough to complement the bombast.
[7]
Alfred Soto: Like this week’s Mark Ronson-Camilla Cabello collaboration, a triumph of singer over production, although at least the title matches Chung Ha’s performance.
[7]
Michael Hong: Similar to “Gotta Go,” “Snapping” opens with instrumentals ripped straight out of a fairy tale. Chung Ha follows shortly behind, sounding urgent and forceful right out of the gate. However, the maximalist approach doesn’t really pan out here — the vocal distortions and robotic filter on her voice are distracting, and the track is crowded with one hook too many, leading to none of them landing as well as they should.
[5]