All(H)ours – Smoke Point (Mini Album Review)

The explosive seven member group continue to excel musically while carving a name for themselves which is both trendy and experimental.

With K-Pop’s fifth generation having churned out a large quantity of groups since early 2023, competition was already undeniably fierce. Enter All (H)ours, a boy group that debuted in January 2024, who immediately took the scene by storm with powerful and bold music paired with highly technical dance performances. Aside from general industry pressures, many new boy groups often face criticism for pursuing a ‘noise music’ style, characterised by a chaotic, distorted or experimental sound, instead of delivering music that would better appeal to the masses. With many of their fellow fifth generation competitors opting for brighter concepts, All (H)ours thundered unapologetically in on bold beats and edgy choruses paired with striking visuals; the group concentrating on creating an exciting blend of EDM-inspired K-Pop/Hip-Hop for fans to enjoy, contrary to other’s demands for a softer style.

The group’s newest mini album Smoke Point is comprised of five audacious tracks that capitalise on the boys’ boisterous and often experimental sound. With the title referring to the point in which oil starts to boil, the group hopes that this will be the release that helps them gain even more attention from both Korean and international audiences. The album intro ‘Smoke Point’ is a groovy affair of upbeat guitars underneath rousing vocal samples and uplifting synthesisers. As many fans may have discovered, the group’s album intros always serve as a sneak peek to the next album’s title track, and so ‘Smoke Point’ is sure to set fans alight with burning curiosity and wonder at what else the group has up their sleeves.

Without getting too far ahead of ourselves though, All (H)ours really do go all out to ensure that Smoke Point is a certified hit for listeners that can maintain its charm even after many replays. The second track ‘Graffiti’, previously released as a single in January 2025, enthusiastically opens with a bouncy drum beat punctuating the members’ energetic raps. Japanese member Masami puts his gravelly tone to good use by intertwining his powerful rap with lines delivered by the band’s vocalists Kunho, Youmin, Minje and ON:N, who all carry much brighter and higher pitched tones. After a synth-led pre-chorus, which is brought to life through airy harmonies and mellifluous vocals, ‘Graffiti’ bursts out in a satisfyingly rhythmic chorus with lyrics that encourage listeners to live a carefree life (“Don’t care, do what you want to do…Just feel the vibe”).

The rowdy title track ‘Gimme Gimme’ is the album’s highlight for a reason – it’s loud, wild and unbelievably addictive. The song, a hardcore dance track incorporating EDM and drum and bass elements to incredible effect, is an unruly ‘noise music’ party that fans and new listeners alike do not want to miss. Beginning with an upbeat guitar riff, the song is soon bolstered by a thumping bass track and fiery rapping, and it only gets wilder from here. The song’s action-packed pre-chorus transitions into the track’s satisfyingly upbeat chorus, which is lead by the members’ teasing calls of “You gotta gimme gimme gimme…” over the song’s high-powered beat. It’s exactly the quality of title track fans of the group will be expecting, and is guaranteed to get audiences bouncing.

‘Kings and Queens’ is a more subdued affair with its chill hip-hop sound and suave mid-tempo, but the track’s somewhat suggestive lyrics hold enough thrill of their own as they describe a precarious mental game against an opponent, romantic or otherwise. With a swaggering bass line and the smooth vocals of the members shining here, the track’s cool vibe will leave listeners contemplating the real subject of these lyrics. The ear-worm pre-chorus does justice to the impassioned performances given by vocalists ON:N, Minje and Kunho, as their charismatic vocals resonate pleasingly over some of the track’s most memorable lines (“Just take the risk, never say die”).

The group aim to leave listeners with a striking final impression by choosing perhaps the album’s most experimental track, ‘Freaky Fresh’, as the album closer. Containing a jittering bass track, the song particularly highlights the group’s main rappers Xayden and Hyunbin, who deliver thrillingly fast-paced raps during the verses. The lyrics suitably tell of All (H)ours’ mission to shake up the industry; the song’s first line standing out as perfectly embodying the spirit of the boy group – “Baby, just born but already the final boss”.

Score/Outstanding: Despite being in the game for just over a year, All (H)ours have proved to be a force to be reckoned with. By sticking to their powerful and energetic music and performance style, the group no doubt qualify to be called ‘the future of K-Pop’.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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