Heat [Flare Ver.] [B&N Exclusive Exclusive] in Bloomington, MN

For their second EP of 2023, K-pop group
(G)I-DLE
teamed with label
88rising
for their first all-English effort,
Heat
. The taut EP contains zero filler, hitting hard and fast with gut-busting, hip-shaking tracks like "I Want That" and the sexy "Eyes Roll," a pair of in-your-face dance anthems that are as irresistible as they are thrilling. The sweet, synths-and-harmonies lead single "I Do" and the midtempo "Tall Trees" are the most saccharine moments here, balanced by the bravado and bass-rattling trap banger "Flip It." The English lyrics (and delivery) work well for K-pop fans without the Korean-language fluency, which makes
just that much more accessible. It's also one of their best and most immediate works to date. ~ Neil Z. Yeung