Album · 2020

Sugar Rush Overdrive

Shout-along hooks turned up to arcade-cabinet volume: the record where the chorus became the whole point.

Tracks

1. Paper Plane SkyThe opener, with a wish folded into a plane and thrown at the sky. We wanted the first chorus to feel like launching it.anthemic dance-pop, stadium pop2:18
2. High Five FrequencyThis is where the shout-along sound was born. Two hands up, everybody together, and the hook just clicked.shout-along pop, idol pop2:13
3. Starlight LunchboxA song about sparkles on a sandwich, which is exactly as silly and sweet as it sounds. Our maknae wrote the pop-pop-pop of the chorus.bubblegum pop, idol pop2:13
4. Sprinkler Season SquadWe wrote this one for hot afternoons and garden hoses. The count-in is a real dare to the crowd.summer pop, gang vocals2:09
5. Glitter Gel PenA rainbow of pens and a story that flows. The choreography uses a drawing motion with each hand, so you can actually write along.idol pop, dance practice2:34
6. Pocket Full of SunbeamsThe single, and the one with sunbeams in the pocket. Pockets full of light made the whole group smile in the studio.feel-good pop, shout-along pop2:25
7. Bubble Tea CountdownA pink-and-blue counter, a countdown, and a drop that sounds like a straw hitting the bottom. We ordered way too much tea during recording.bubblegum pop, electro-pop2:06
8. Rainbow CrosswalkPainted stripes and a green light, and we're off. The synth riff is a little nod to old driving games.arcade synth, 80s synth-pop2:11
9. Sticker Photo BoothFour little frames and a funny pose, and we really did fit five of us in a booth. The squeals in the bridge are real.idol pop, playful pop2:27
10. Walkie-Talkie WishesA crackly line, a plastic antenna, and a message sent across the practice room. We used a real toy walkie-talkie on the intro.retro synth-pop, lo-fi pop2:28
11. Level Up LemonadeCoins in the pocket and the lights on the wall. This is our love letter to the arcade, with the coin-drop sound in every chorus.chiptune pop, arcade synth2:29
12. Kite String HeartbeatWe close the record on a hilltop, holding the string tight. It's the sing-along we hoped people would still be humming on the way home.stadium pop, anthemic k-pop2:48

Liner notes

After the dance covers took off, we figured out what people actually did with our songs: they shouted them. So we built Sugar Rush Overdrive for crowds, with big gang vocals, coin-drop synths, and choruses you can throw both fists at. Every track was mapped to a dance break before we wrote a single lyric. We recorded most of the shouting in one night with the whole team crammed into the booth, and you can hear everyone grinning.

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