Why Don't We - 8 Letters

Why Don't We
8 Letters
2018
Spotify

Why Don't We are an American Boy Band. Yes, those words came out of my mouth and with the runnaway success of K-Pop outfit BTS get ready to hear a lot more. Every five years or so it seems like teen girls hit their boy band phase and we hear things like "One Direction sold out Madison Square Garden for 12 nights" and "BTS are selling more records than Drake" that make you scratch your head and wonder why. Why Don't We rose to fame through collaborations with former Youtuber and Vloger Logan Paul, even being featured on a diss track He did about his brother. If you are scoffing already, do not fear none of the Pauls' influence makes it on to this record even through Logan has directed three of their music videos. The music is as basic as it gets; Boys singing over a poppy beat occasionally finding a harmony the celebrate a little too hard. The difference here is Why Don't We use common vernacular almost exclusively and borrow from hip hop more than just a little. It's not that shocking that a group being associated with the Pauls tends to borrow from hip hop since it's one of the brothers' main outlets. The problem is if you are going to lift, you better make that shit band, none of this does.

ON "Choose" they go into this almost Alliyah-esque breakdown that just feels totally silly. How serious these boys sing these rather absurd lyrics is almost laughable. There is no wink, no thought that maybe the world has gone through this boy band phase before and treating it as the most serious thing ever feels disingenuous to say the least. Since forming in 2016 the band have put out three EPs and this full record (it's only 8 tracks), releasing music at a pretty damn quick click. Yet you can see just like Youtbe they are treating music as disposable, get it out and get it in people's hands before they forget you exist. Songs like "Hard" sound like they should be good, but if you peel back even just a tiny bit from the surface you realize how hollow and silly each track is. Maybe this music is for someone, ideally teen girls, but it is not for me nor any of my ilk. I would have to say give 8 Letters a hard pass.

3.0 out of 10