P1Harmony album review: 'Find Out' a way to 'Do It Like This'

A six-piece act under FNC entertainment, P1Harmony made the first K-Pop comeback of 2022 in style. The rising rookie group, comprising of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob, witnessed massive success in 2021; the group made its U.S. debut performance at a Major League Soccer Match in Los Angeles in October. To mark the new beginning of the year, the self-proclaimed peacemakers have released their third mini-album DISHARMONY: FIND OUT, accompanied by the title track, Do It Like This. The EP is the final part of the “DISHARMONY” trilogy.

Do It Like This - The ideal title track

Do It Like This is an upbeat pop song with head-bobbing beats and synths. Compared to the group’s previous gritty singles, the song has a brighter tone and a narration that steers towards hope and possibilities. With catchy rhythms and addictive beats, the song is easy to listen to and scores big as an ideal title track. Co-written by members Intak and Jongseob, it is another anthem advocating the sextet’s journey as frontiers.

“Brace yourself and start/ We’ll strike, are you ready?” Jiung begins his verse, followed by Intak’s rap lines calling out listeners to join their journey of spreading love and peace. Continuing with the usual structure and style, the vocal duo of Keeho and Theo take over the pre-chorus with their profound vocals.

The song drops for the most anticipated chorus as Jiung and Intak take the lead in conveying the powerful and addictive hook. As the members step in creating a new world together, the repetitive chorus goes:

"Come on wake up follow me/ Do it like this right now, right here/ Do it like this, chant dreams together/ Do it like this, like this."

After a brief interlude led by Soul, the song continues as a rap dominant verse with Jongseob and later blends in with Theo’s melody. Following the usual pattern, the song has a vocal bridge to highlight the vocalists' charm and drops for the final chorus.

The fun-sounding track not only delights our ears but delivers a sincere social message through its lyrics. The sextet, known for expressing itself in thoughtful words, once again conveys a beautiful message of unity, love and hope.

The eye-catching music video for the single

P1Harmony in the music video for 'Do It Like This' (Image via YouTube/FNC Entertainment)

The music video starts with the storyline of the trilogy, as the members join hands to create a new world. After heavy rain, all dirt has been washed away from the Earth and the new team is now ready to start it from scratch. The video opens with P1Harmony, in their flashy outfits, breaking into an empty mart along with their mates. With the whole city shut down, the gang dares to have fun by walking into stores and collecting the items they like. Though the entire world seems dead or frozen, the youngsters join hands to stay hopeful for a new beginning.

Other shots include the outdoors where the members come together to perform their choreography. The dance moves, mostly shot in the streets of the U.S., are sharp and intense, bringing out the members’ fierce and youthful charm. The key point is the hand gesture during the chorus. The members' hands move like they are making something, which can be interpreted as creating a new world.

P1Harmony in the music video for 'Do It Like This' (Images via YouTube/FNC Entertainment)

Apart from the choreography-centered shots, the music video extends with shots of grand indoor sets including the lavish banquet that feast our eyes with its chic, fresh and luxurious visuals.

Another aspect of the video that make it a joy to watch are the members’ stunning fashion and eye-snatching looks. The entire video is intriguing with great visuals and theories that keep the viewers glued to their chairs for a replay.

Relatable theories: The world after the apocalypse

Starting from where the SCARED era left us, the group explains how the Earth is as good as new in their W+W (Welcome to +WORLD) series. The mini-video series was released on FNC’s Entertainment’s official YouTube channel explaining the members’ super abilities and them adapting to the new normal.

If you were wondering what made the members special and stand out among the commoners to deliver peace, the members answer us by taking us on a trip into their lives to narrate their stories. Having gained superpowers, the members are not heroes but the possibility of a new beginning.

Following the theories of the trilogy, the music video captures the events post heavy rain. With reference to Noah's story from the bible, the members act as frontiers to start it anew after the end. Despite a heavy downpour, the world is still not ready after destruction, with the city still cracked and partially covered in smoke clouds. Despite the slow healing of the world, we find the members and others happily dancing.

During the individual shots, we find statues of David, Augustus, and a few other ancient leaders that might symbolize the historical battles of peace and the men who advocated it. The statue of David, which is said to symbolize independence and strength in the perfect image of youthful beauty, has been connected to the theory since the beginning. The huge statue of David appears and gets stoned in the trailer of DISHARMONY: STAND OUT, the same statue that featured in the music video of SCARED.

The statue of Augustus, on the other hand, symbolizes peace. With the members being found among the statues, it can be considered that they are going to follow the footsteps of such leaders or be similar vessels in bringing peace to the word. And though they are not crowned leaders by others, there are individual shots where the members honor themselves with their personalized crowns, delivering the message that every commoner is a hero/leader themselves.

The color scheme of the music video is bright and cheerful compared to the group’s previous singles, signifying the radiant and cheerful side of the sextet. The music video also blends well with Pantone’s colour of the year, veri peri (a fusion of a dynamic peri blue and a vivid violet-red undertone), by using shades of purple in both settings and clothing.

The video comes to a climax with the rocks being lifted up from the ground and turned into crystals. In the end, the dawn gradually disappears and the sun rises as a symbol of hope for a new beginning. After the music video ends, a digital clock that was reset earlier starts ticking from one signifying the new day, the new start.

A 100% no-skip album

The mini-album has six unique tracks along with the title track. The playlist delights listeners with fresh pop beats and tuneful rhythm.

That'$ Money

That’$ Money, the second song in the album, is an urban pop song with rhythmic beats. The song initially begins with a laid-back verse and gradually gets catchy and peppy during the chorus. With free rap verses and foot-tapping beats, the song instantly becomes familiar and sounds similar to one of the group’s earlier b-sides That’s It.

Though the verses are mostly rap driven, the vocalists of the group get a chance to outshine and harmonize during the pre-chorus. The lyrics penned by Jiung, Intak, and Jongseob explain what matters and is valued at the end.

Follow Me

Follow Me blasts as another powerful track on the album with grand-sounding beats and rhythm. The entire song is pompous, crediting the rappers of the group, and doesn’t slow down anywhere. With the entire group participating in penning down the lyrics, the song becomes even more special in the playlist.

The upbeat track highlights the group's fierce energy, with members confidently singing:

“Knock down to make the world more valuable/ Infiltrating enemy's line of insanity/ Scarier than a bullet, yell out/ Look at your voice, louder, hoo”

The chorus of the song sounds like roaring chants accompanied by heavy instrumentals proclaiming their synergy. With the tagline, “We rise up so follow me” repeated, the act reassures the listener of a brighter tomorrow despite the persisting hurdles. Certainly, Follow Me is the song to be in our playlist to help us shake off our doubts and move forward.

Bop

Bop continues to be a pop track with a catchy tune. As the song’s name suggests, the track is composed of rhythmic beats and is free-spirited with its lyrics. The verse arrangement is interesting and fun with the usage of different onomatopoeia words like “ting-ting” and “Ba-ra-ba-bop” in the lyrics.

The lines written by N.Flying’s J.DON along with Intak and Jongseob share the members’ idea of playing the game of life in their own way and being their own teachers during the journey. The concept of the song is also quite similar to the idea of the popular proverb, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” as it sings about the optimistic approach towards life in a metaphorical way.

Before The Dawn

Before The Dawn opens up the first complete melody in the album. With soft keyboard notes, the song opens up with a mellow rap verse shared by Intak and Jongseob. Being stuck in the pandemic, it is obvious for any individual to lose hope and give in to self-doubts. And during such difficult times, it is necessary to have a reminder that it is not the darkest midnight but the dawn before sunrise.

Knowing what listeners need to hear at times like these, the members share a thoughtful and heartfelt message of never giving up. Lines like, “You know darkness is the deepest/ Before the dawn, before the dawn/ I will never stop right here,” make sure to console anyone. Adding to the comforting lyrics, the members make us feel at ease with their gentle vocals.

Peacemaker

The album wraps up with a melody close to fans’ hearts. The fan song Peacemaker is a tuneful melody with mild instrumentation. As the group once again touches the hearts of many with empathetic lines, the lyrics go:

“Walking away from our pitch black darkness/ Don't stumble, take another step from the comma."

The song calls on each and everyone to join hands to fight against odds and be at peace together. Proclaimed as the peacemakers of earth, the members step in to be the fans’ personal peacemakers with a promise:

“Yeah we can make it home together/ You're not alone, give me your hand/ We'll be peacemakers for you."

The members’ emotive singing along with the lyrics makes the song even more personal to the listeners. The song also has a beautiful choreography which was staged by the members during the showcase. The best part of the dance is the little gestures like hugging, lending a hand, and lifting up that deliver the message effectively. Hence, a must-listen to be added to your playlist.

Final Thoughts

P1Harmony (Image via Twitter/@P1H_official)

P1Harmony, with their new release, has once again proved to the world that they are here to move hearts and make a change with their music. The EP beautifully blends different shades of the act and presents it to their fans as a whole package.

Moreover, the members participating in the making of the album and dropping additional choreography videos for the b-sides show the efforts of the group to get better every time. This passion and free will of the members make the sextet familiar among the fans for who they are and get the attention they deserve.

The sextet will soon be heading to the U.S. for their first-ever tour after performing their very first concert in Seoul on February 26.