"Lion Heart" was described as a soul pop-inspired bubblegum pop song by Billboard.[1] It embraces a 1960s American retro sound and has a jazzy melody as well as "an ear-grabbing bass line".[2][3] Lyrically, the song talks about women falling in love with men who have a cheating heart and how they try to tame him like taming a lion.[4]
Music video
The music video was released on August 18, 2015.[5] The music video narrates a story where the members of Girls' Generation each fall in love with a male protagonist, who turns out to be the same man. They become upset and team up against him.[1] The song was choreographed by the American choreographer Tony Testa & SM Entertainment's choreographer Shim Jaewon.[6] The visual was the third most viewed music video on YouTube by a South Korean act in August 2015.[7]
Reception
Billboard praised the song for its retro themes and shifting of member roles saying "But what is new, musically, is the division of lines -- namely when Yuri, a member who typically only chimes in with a line or two, gets to handle a majority of the second chorus. It's a decision that further shows how Girls' Generation is embracing change in their eighth year..."[8] The song was deemed the 7th best K-pop single of 2015 by PopMatters.[9] Meanwhile, Idolator chose it as the 24th best K-pop song of the year.[10]
