top of page
Search

Is It For the Misfits or Is It a Misfit?: <Club Icarus> EP Review

  • Writer: Timson Nguyen
    Timson Nguyen
  • Jun 14, 2025
  • 2 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

By Timson Nguyen

Artist: ARTMS

Genre: Korean/K-Pop, Electronic, Artpop

Label: Modhaus

<Club Icarus> Album Cover - Released June 13, 2025
<Club Icarus> Album Cover - Released June 13, 2025

<Club Icarus> is a project sonically designed to cater to the misfits, or in other words, those with a lot of patience. With a misfitted classical art ballad serving as the lead single, a pre-release single you have to Stockholm yourself into liking, and overlooked EDM genres as your b-sides, you have to respect the vision of <Club Icarus>.


For “Icarus” to be the lead single with no hook and no explosive chorus is an interesting career choice; however, I can’t doubt the artistry that went behind the song. The classical elements of the production paired with ARTMS’ top-tier vocals create an artpop piece—that may not be on par with their other artpop song “Birth” from their <Dall> album—but defiantly suggests to listeners and fans of ARTMS to expect the unexpected from here on out.

However, aside from the unexpected “Icarus”, the two tracks “Obsessed” and “Goddess” really focus on the club aspect of the EP. “Obsessed” is a bright garage song contrasted by a moody vocal delivery from ARTMS. The dichotomy produces an eerie and chaotic overcast. “Goddess” is a hyper and mellow drum and bass song that fails to showcase what ARTMS can do, but rather what Jaden Jeong can hit on his beat pad. Then, there is “Verified Beauty”, the stereotypical beauty of the entire EP with a formulaic K-Pop song structure. Reminiscent of LOONA’s “#” era, this song feels the safest out of the EP. Finally, there’s “Burn”: a bratty and chic song that feels fit for a runway except this song is too otherworldly (neutral connotation) to be found on a runway.


Ultimately, if I’m going to be upfront, every song other than “Obsessed”—which is me stretching it—and “Verified Beauty” sounds incomplete. Is that the theme of the project? Incompleteness is completeness? Is less better? Are misfit songs acceptable in the saturated K-Pop industry? ARTMS makes a bold statement coming out with <Club Icarus>, but is there even an audience outside of OURIIs (ARTMS’ fandom name) that can appreciate—let alone tolerate—this misfit of a project?

Score: 6

You can read more from live reactions to a more in-depth review of ARTMS' <Club Icarus> on my Notion page, Timson's Sound.

Stream ARTMS:


Comments

bottom of page