---

After almost two years of radio silence following her departure from her previous company, South Korean singer Chungha steps back into familiar skin with her newest two-song digital single album, “EENIE MEENIE.” Her career spans nearly a decade, debuting in Korean girl group I.O.I after placing fourth on the reality competition show, Produce 101, in 2016 and quickly beginning a solo career in early 2017. Chungha’s last comeback under former company, MNH Entertainment, was her second full-length album, Bare & Rare, in July 2022, so this release was a more than welcome surprise. 

The first of two tracks in this single album are a hypnotizing reminder of the sound that many fans know from Chungha’s prior releases, specifically 2020’s “Stay Tonight.” Appropriately titled “I’m Ready,” this B-side features a hard-hitting instrumental that transports you to a moody nightclub filled floor to ceiling with strobe lights and swirling fog. Although the chorus risks becoming repetitive by the end and the bridge feels slightly underwhelming, it serves as an exciting opening to this new chapter in her career. She’s ready, both metaphorically and literally, to hit the stage again and show an even more realized version of herself as a performer. 

As far as musical matches made in heaven go, it’s difficult to imagine a duo that could personally top this collaboration. Chungha’s title track, “EENIE MEENIE,” features Hongjoong, rapper and leader of Korean boy group ATEEZ. It starts with a simple bassline under the opening vocals and fades into a melodic pre-chorus that adds layer upon layer onto the track before all of that gets stripped away in the chorus. Hongjoong’s energy – stylistically, vocally, and physically – aligns with Chungha’s in perfect harmony. Where his tone fluctuates purposefully during his verse, hers is stable at a uniquely lower octave for her voice. Where her raps keep the listener on their toes, his verse ends by releasing words in impressively rapid succession. Not to mention the intentional nods to ATEEZ’s latest title track, “Crazy Form,” within the choreography (if you blink you might miss it). 

For an artist who remained relatively out of the spotlight for over a year, Chungha is unapologetically back with a vengeance, addictive choreography, and a new partner in crime.