Album Review: CRAVITY’s 9th EP ‘sonorous’

On September 30, five months after their latest release, ReDeFine, fourth-generation boy group, CRAVITY × About group CRAVITY CRAVITY is a nine-member South Korean boy group under Starship Entertainment. The group consists of SERIM, ALLEN, JUNGMO, WOOBIN, WONJIN, MINHEE, HYEONGJUN, TAEYOUNG, and SEONGMIN. CRAVITY debuted on April 14, 2020 with the EP Season 1. Hideout: Remember Who We Are. Tap again to view profile → Close returned with their ninth mini-album, sonorous, featuring the title track “Louder.”

This seven-track mini-album connects to the overall theme of resonance, with different waves, colliding and intersecting with one another to create one unified sound.

Through their united sound, sonorous explores a range of different emotions, including anxiety, doubt, ambiguity, instinct, and conviction (belief). Each track on the album carries an element that leads back to the idea of resonance, while maintaining its own individuality.

There is also a lot of symbolism displayed throughout this album. The pegasus is very prevalent in both the concept photos as well as the official music video for “Louder.” Additionally, each member of CRAVITY represents one of the nine muses from Greek mythology, which further enhances the theme of resonance.

CREDIT: X - CRAVITYstarship

Another hallmark on this album is that several members of CRAVITY participated in the lyric writing and composition of several of the tracks, showcasing their versatility and growth as evolving artists.

Since the release of sonorous on the 30th, the album sold over 177,922 copies in its first week and has since surpassed over 202,164 copies sold on the Circle Charts. CRAVITY also took home first place for “Louder” on SBS Life’s The Show on October 6, earning the group its eighth music show win. Members Minhee × Artist bio MINHEE Real name: Kang Min-heePosition: Vocalist, PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2002-09-17 MINHEE is a South Korean singer and performer and a member of CRAVITY. MINHEE is known for a calm, thoughtful, friendly, and playful public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close and Hyeongjun × Artist bio HYEONGJUN Real name: Song Hyeong-junPosition: Dancer, Vocalist, PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2002-11-30 HYEONGJUN is a South Korean singer, dancer, and performer and a member of CRAVITY. HYEONGJUN is known for a bright, energetic, expressive, and friendly public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close also served as the special MCs for the episode, making the win for the group even more special.

Now let’s get into the tracks.

Tracklist:

1. Pulse

2. Louder (Title Track)

3. Lucky Charm

4. LOVE ME

5. Seize The Night

6. Fantasy

7. Odd One Out

Track 1: Pulse

“Pulse” is a hip-hop sounding song that also serves as the opening track for the album. I think “Pulse” was a great choice for the album’s opening track, as it really grabs your attention within the first few seconds. Through its unique synths and beats, the song makes you think it’ll sound a certain way, only to turn around and sound like something completely different, which is what I enjoyed most about it.

The song tells the story of an individual who wakes up from a dream as a new person with a new state of mind, a feeling you experience even as a listener. Based on the title track, the “pulse” is used metaphorically to represent a vibration shared between two individuals who are attracted to one another, creating a sense of unity.

The song also does a great job of showcasing each member’s unique vocal tone, especially during the chorus, where Allen × Artist bio ALLEN Real name: Allen MaPosition: Rapper, Dancer, PerformerNationality: Taiwanese-AmericanBirthday: 1999-04-26 ALLEN is a rapper, dancer, and performer of CRAVITY. ALLEN is known for an energetic, friendly, creative, and thoughtful public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close ’s deep voice repeats “Pulse, pulse, pulse…” If you’re looking for a song that will wake you up, “Pulse” is a great choice, thanks to the chorus alone.

Track 2: Louder (Title Track)

As an EDM track, “Louder” serves as the album’s official title track. With lyric credits from several members, including Serim × Artist bio SERIM Real name: Park Se-rimPosition: Leader, Rapper, PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 1999-03-03 SERIM is the leader, rapper, and a performer of CRAVITY. SERIM is known for a responsible, confident, caring, and performance-focused public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , Allen, Wonjin × Artist bio WONJIN Real name: Ham Won-jinPosition: Vocalist, Dancer, PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2001-03-22 WONJIN is a South Korean singer, dancer, and performer and a member of CRAVITY. WONJIN is known for an expressive, energetic, humorous, and outgoing public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , Hyeongjun, and Taeyoung × Artist bio TAEYOUNG Real name: Kim Tae-youngPosition: Vocalist, Dancer, PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2003-01-27 TAEYOUNG is a South Korean singer, dancer, and performer and a member of CRAVITY. TAEYOUNG is known for an energetic, confident, playful, and outgoing public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , this track tells a story about a growing vibration inside an individual that leads to a self-transformation allowing them to be introduced to new things.

This song does a great job of showcasing a new leap of faith in someone’s life and showing that they can break through something, even if they are hesitant about it. This also connects back to the idea of resonance, which is the overall theme of the album. The music video for “Louder” also connects not only to the theme of resonance, but also to the aspects of Greek mythology that were sprinkled into the concept photos and films for the album.

“Louder” is definitely a very strong title track for this album and allows for it to connect well with the group’s other title tracks while still maintaining its own individuality.

The song starts off dark and mysterious, but then transitions into a strong and uplifting chorus that caught the attention of many listeners from the beginning. What makes this song so interesting is the blend of vocals, raps, and the beat, which creates one cohesive sound. The focal point of the dance during the chorus and the group’s great synchronization also brings everything together, and is so addicting to watch. “Louder” has become one of my favorite title tracks from the group.

Track 3: Lucky Charm

Funky, upbeat dance-pop song, “Lucky Charm” is the third track on sonorous. The track, which features lyric credits from members Allen, Wonjin, and Hyeongjun, tells the story of two individuals becoming each other’s lucky charms, allowing them to live their lives as happily as possible and not letting anything get in their way. The song’s opening is reminiscent of the introduction to an event, such as sporting event or even a magic show, with Allen announcing, “Welcome to the show!” This creates the impression that a story will unfold throughout the song, intriguing listeners and leaving them wanting to know more.

The song also does a great job of using imagery to convey the message of becoming each other’s lucky charms. The lyrics, “Got me feeling like that so lucky, Every time I swing, I send you a homerun, we hit the spot, roll the dice another 6 yeah!” allow listeners to imagine the excitement and satisfaction associated with these actions, as both hitting a home run and rolling a six on a dice are often linked to having good luck.

Through the song’s upbeat nature, it makes you feel as though you are the narrator who is experiencing this sense of luck after meeting that special person. This song can also put anyone in a good mood from the very first listen, which is what I love most about this track.

Track 4: LOVE ME

“LOVE ME,” the fourth track on the album, was written and composed by member Serim. This is Serim’s second self-composed track. This track is an emotional yet upbeat, band-sounding track that is about wanting to protect something so special to you, such as a relationship with someone, even in moments of uncertainty.

The lyrics, “You should love me, Trust me, I’ll be all you need,” showcase the devotion they have for that other person and their desire to continue building this connection and maintaining their relationship, no matter what obstacles may come their way.

The combination of both the vocals and rapping in this song sounds so beautiful allowing the story to unfold throughout the track.

From the very first listen, I wanted to play this song in the car at full volume with my windows down, as it gives off a nostalgic, coming-of-age feeling through its melody, beats, and overall sound alone. “LOVE ME” is definitely my favorite song on this album and has even become a new favorite song of mine in the group’s discography.

Track 5: Seize The Night

Even through deep darkness, staying true to yourself and trusting your gut, even in moments of uncertainty, is what the fifth track, “Seize The Night” on sonorous is all about. This high-energy song shares the message of continuing through life without fear and not letting anything get in the way of that. Much like the saying, “there is always light at the end of the tunnel,” the lyrics in “Seize The Night”, “The darkness continues, my sight grows clearer every moment,” share that same sentiment.

This song is very vocal-heavy, allowing the member’s diverse vocal tones to shine throughout the track, especially during the various vocal runs and high notes.

Through the connection between the lyrics and overall beats of the song, listeners can feel as though they are the ones embarking on this journey of trying to move forward in life, even in the face of uncertainty. Songs like this allow listeners to connect with the lyrics on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of the song’s meaning.

Track 6: Fantasy

The sixth track on sonorous is the powerful, uplifting hip-hop and EDM track, “Fantasy,” which was self-composed by member Woobin × Artist bio WOOBIN Real name: Seo Woo-binPosition: Main Vocalist, ProducerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2000-10-16 WOOBIN is a main vocalist and music creator of CRAVITY. WOOBIN is known for a warm, hardworking, creative, and dependable public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close . Very different from what Woobin has composed in the past, this track takes you to such a high from the beginning until the end. Other tracks in the group’s discography composed by Woobin include “Horizon” and “Light the Way”, which are known for being more emotional in comparison to “Fantasy.” This contrast shows Woobin’s versatility as a composer and I give him major praise for it.

“Fantasy” is about listening to your own individual instincts, allowing you to break free from the structure of your everyday life. What makes tracks like this so unique is that they all tell the story of breaking free and becoming your own true self, which is something we also see in the track, “Odd One Out.”

The chant in the chorus, “Fantasy, I’ll be burning energy,” also highlights the act of self ambition and drive, which also connects back to listening to your own instincts allowing you to move forward becoming the best version of yourself.

Track 7: Odd One Out

The closing track on the album, and another personal favorite track of mine is “Odd One Out.” The track was self-composed by member Taeyoung, making it his second self-composed song that has been released on the group’s albums, following his first self-composed song, “Love Me Like You Do,” which was released on the group’s last album, ReDeFine, back in late April. Member Allen also contributed lyrics to the song.

“Odd One Out” is a self-empowering, upbeat track about embracing your own individuality and not being afraid to stray away from the status quo or fail to meet the expectations others may have of you.

Through the song’s outstanding harmonies and energy, you can really grasp its overall tone and message. The inclusion of the word, “sonorous” in the song also ties the album all together in the end, with the song’s distinct sound creating waves that connect back to the concept of resonance. This song also does a great job of showcasing the groups’ beautiful tones through both their singing and rapping.

This song definitely helps bring a great end to such an amazing and diverse sounding album. Each track on the album has its own unique aspects, with every song creating its own waves that contribute to the overall sense of resonance.

CRAVITY is currently promoting “Louder” on various Korean music shows while also meeting their fans, LUVITY, through various events, including in-person fansigns and video calls. On September 14, during the promotion rollout for sonorous, CRAVITY announced their 2026 concert, SONOROUS, which will take place on November 14 and 15 in Seoul at the Seoul Olympic Hall and on November 21 in Busan at the Busan KBS Hall.

Sonorous is now available to listen on all streaming platforms, while the official music video for “Louder” can be found on YouTube.