Experimenting with a variety of sounds and concepts in their previous albums, there’s no telling what Romeo might do next. But it’s a reassuring sign that their comeback mini-album, Without U, features famous producer and songwriter Brave Brothers and his signature beats. However, other than a couple notable tracks worth listening to, much of Without U turned out to be a letdown with generic tunes that don’t make lasting impressions.
Track 1 – Romeo is Back
Romeo is Back is a sneak peak intro that starts the album. The phrase, “Romeo is back” sounds a bit off in the background and the intro should have had some variations in the tempo and style instead of just literally lifting a minute off of the title track.
Track 2 – 니가 없는데 (Without U)
Title track Without U kicks off brightly with spunky disc scratching and playful whistles. The immediately sticky chorus is brought to life by funky guitar riffs and the boys’ youthful vocals. Without U sounds very refreshing and shows off the boyish charms that suit Romeo rather well.
Track 3 – Like I Do
Sounding a bit mellow than the previous track, Like I Do is a mid-tempo number with subtle Western-like synths and soft piano in the background. Like I Do really is more of a sidetrack as it didn’t grab as much attention as a title track should have. Upon listening to it, the bridge grabbed my ears for a bit but soon left me hanging again once the bridge was over.
Track 4 – 좋은 차, 좋은 집 (Hustle)
Hustle is a subtle lounge music tune with hints of trap music. The song kept going on in a monotonous straight line with no other elements to take notice of. I felt like the song just literally passed through my ears — in from one and out the other.
Track 5 – 장난치지 마 (Focus on Me)
Focus on Me is a mid-tempo track filled with distorted synths. It reminded me of some of BTS songs like Run and Save Me perhaps because of the style and tempo changes especially in the pre-chorus. Focus on Me lacked the boyish Romeo vibe and didn’t feel like a congruent fit into the album.
Track 6 – Blue
Without U ends with an acoustic track in Blue. The beat enters during the chorus as Romeo sings out their dreamy vocals. Blue is light and relaxing to listen to. It also highlights the soft vocals of the members as the melody is not too overpowering. This would be one of the few track in the album that sounded full and is worth listening to repeatedly.