VANNER Soar to New Heights with “BURN”
Five years after their debut, VANNER notch a hit single and their first music show win.
VANNER, the five member boy group under Klap Entertainment, asks a pointed question on “Revolver”, the opening track of their new EP, “You know you’re messing with the best?”
Though VANNER debuted in 2019, the group is just beginning to take flight. Following two U.S. tours in 2020 and 2022, VANNER is targeting for their biggest breakthrough yet with their excellent new EP “BURN”.
“BURN” is unapologetically bright with catchy hooks, hard beats, and, when necessary, the group turns up the emotions a few notches, like on “Blossom” which the group co-wrote with HIGHLIGHT’s Lee Gi-Kwang. At a time when K-Pop has become almost burdened by high production and groups posturing to be as cool as possible, there is something wholesome and refreshing about how old school VANNER’s approach to the genre is. In their best moments, they remind me how transcendent and singular K-Pop can be.
The group’s comeback single “Automatic” is a great example of their strengths. It’s a high-energy, groovy single that lets lead rapper Gon flex his skills while Taehwan, Hyesung, and Yeonggwang prove that the group packs in some powerful vocalists. The group has spent the past month promoting the single heavily on Korean variety shows and was awarded with their first ever win on Music Bank on October 11th after racking up 6,788 points.
Even though there was no broadcast of Music Bank the week VANNER won, they still held a livestream on their YouTube to celebrate their win. Looking stunned and still in streetwear, the members thanked their fans and performed “Automatic” acapella.
VANNER’s recent success is somewhat of a rarity in K-Pop, especially in an industry that prioritizes and rewards new groups. While many groups dominating music shows and U.S. coverage are all below the legal drinking age, VANNER’s members are all in their mid-to-late twenties (one member Sungkook, is currently fulfilling his military conscription). “BURN” comes after several releases from the group including their debut album “V” released in 2019.
“BURN” is so enjoyable, then, because it comes from a group that’s spent years perfecting their craft. Like the best K-Pop groups, VANNER can move with ease between high-intensity tracks and ballads. The members know their way around a hard beat, such as on the provocative b-side “Xcellerate” or their comeback single. Here, their skill as rappers and performers translates into a wildly fun listen.
But I believe VANNER is most endearing when they embody the nostalgic sounds of K-Pop’s second generation. The EP’s closer “Be Together” might be about spending the night with a girlfriend, but it could easily be used as fan service to the group’s fanbase. Yet I’m most drawn to the lush, euphoric b-side “New Heights”. Viewed through the lens of the group’s Music Bank win, I see the lyrics take on a new meaning. “We got the time of our lives/ Floating up in the sky,” they sing over a ridiculously infectious beat. “It feels bright with youth, paradise.” The track is, at it’s core, about hope. “We’ve got time on our side,” the boys sing in the chorus.
Five years after their debut and now on the verge of major success, VANNER is being proven right. Time has finally caught up to them.
