(Featuring Joohoney, Changbin, Mino, YoungK, and U-Know Yunho)
I thought I would try something different on the blog. Instead of doing a deep dive into one group, I’m doing shallow dives into a bunch of soloists and their first mini albums, then comparing and contrasting. This time is male soloists, from Monsta X to Stray Kids. So, let’s get into it!
Artist #1: Joohoney of Monsta X
I know a bit about the band Monsta X, from their hits like All In or Hero, but not much about the members, and I thought that Joohoney’s first EP would be a good place to start before I did their entire discography. This is a random one, but I watched the episode of We Bare Bears that Monsta X guest-starred in. (Don’t judge me, I had a cold when writing this) So, let’s get into it!
Freedom starts like a classic piano ballad, which was a bit disconcerting after the two hip-hop heavy songs before it on the album. The song soon shifts though, to a creeping hip-hop track more reminiscent of Monsta X’s work, and then back to that beautiful ballad in what’s a pretty great build-up. I was initially worried about the combination and assumed that Freedom would go for the infamous boy group anti-drop, and yet it doesn’t. It’s a song that’s nothing like I’ve ever heard so far, managing to be both affecting and powerful, both bombastic and quiet at the right moments. I was very surprised, both by how well it worked and by Joohoney’s voice, and I really liked it!
From the EP, Lights, I loved the majestic chanting throughout Lights, the powerful lyrics of Monologue, and the summer-ready rock pop sound of Evolution (my hidden gem). I wasn’t expecting to like this EP so much, but I’m ending up giving Joohoney an 8.75 out of 10!
Artist #2: Changbin of Stray Kids
I’ve been a fan of Stray Kids for a while now, and after doing my review of their discography, I became interested in their solo work, since they’re self-produced. Changbin is one of the three members that writes most of their songs, and so I’m kind of cheating with this shallow dive because I’ve combined a bunch of songs he just kind of…released into the ether without an album and declared that they’re basically an EP. I also watched the 1 Kids Room episode SKZ did on him, which was very sweet.
I am the first to admit that I’m not the biggest hip-hop person. But god, I adore the song Streetlight. It’s a perfect example of the idea that good music transcends language, genre, etc. Relying on Changbin’s frankly incredible rapping and surprisingly lovely singing voice, paired with a feature from Bang Chan, it barely has any instrumental besides a piano and some light percussion. I love the way it seems to be both rambly and very pointed, like the most painful kind of stream of consciousness. And that’s not even getting into the lyrics, which unpack loneliness, self-hatred, and the need to have people to rely on. Overall, it’s a moving, sometimes brutally honest discussion of mental health that hits me harder than I’d like to admit. Did I create this entire review as an excuse to review Streetlight? Yes. Yes I did.
From the other singles that Changbin’s released, I enjoyed the messy lyrics of Doodle (though not so much the delivery). My hidden gem was Puzzle Pieces, not only for its warm piano but for the way Changbin and Seungmin’s voices came together like…well, puzzle pieces. I’ll give him an 8.25 out of 10.
I have to admit that I was…less than thrilled after my review of WINNER’s discography, but I try to be fair on this blog and decided to give the members’ solo careers a try, starting with Mino, their rapper, since I did appreciate his skills. Let’s get into it.
Fiance is different from most of the k-pop hip hop I’ve heard, in a good way. Its instrumental is messy and complicated, and it gets your attention not by attempting to but just by being good. bops along with the kind of not-quite-bubbliness that’s always welcome in a hip-hop song. It would be a lie to say that Mino doesn’t make this song, because he really does; I don’t think it would work without him. Also, I really liked the interpolations throughout, especially the woman’s voice right before the choruses and the traditional Korean instrumental. It’s not a sound for me, but I can’t deny that it’s one of the best examples of that sound.
From the album, I enjoyed the easygoing beat of O2, the tropical influences in Lonely, and the gentle sound of Alarm. But overall, it was more trap and EDM heavy. Again, this kind of music isn’t really for me but I can appreciate talent when I hear it. I’ll give this album an 8.
I’m just coming off the heels of a three part deep dive of Day6, and, having covered some of Jae / eaJ’s discography, I thought I’d continue this by covering YoungK’s. I would definitely call myself a fan of the band and him, but I don’t know his solo discography well beyond a few songs. I watched a bit of his Dive Studios interview, too. (Theme here, clearly).
I wasn’t sure if Guard You would be more like Day6’s sound or something different, but the answer is that it’s both. It has rock influences, for sure, especially in the percussion heavy chorus where he plays guitar, but also much more of an electronic sound than they usually do. The synths add this ethereal, almost magical quality, helped along by the apocalyptic science fiction setting of the music video. I have to say though, while I did like the chorus, I thought Guard You’s bridge was undeniably its best part, really leaning into the sense of desperation and dedication. In fact, I wish the rest of the song had been as great as the bridge, but instead I’d call it just “good”.
From the album, Eternal, while I enjoyed the piano of Want To Love You, my hidden gem was undeniably Come As You Are, which is such a gentle song that gives a new meaning to the word “heartwarming”; it feels like your heart is actually warming up from the inside. I’ll give this album an 8/10, which is a bit surprising, since I went in thinking this would be my favorite of the five.
Artist #5: U-Know of TVXQ!
TVXQ! is an institution in the k-pop industry, and also another group I need to cover, mostly known for their hit Mirotic (God, the list is getting long), but despite knowing a decent amount about them, I don’t know much about the members themselves or their solo careers, and I thought this would be a good opportunity for that.
Follow seems like it was made for the soundtrack of a movie about a supervillain, and that’s certainly a compliment. Its beat is light and trippy, with just the right hint of danger to keep things interesting for the listener, bringing to mind Hoshi’s Spider or Viviz’s Maniac, the kind of song that creeps along and lies in wait for its big moment. In this song I’d say that big moment is the chorus’ hook, but I’m not sure how I feel about the post-chorus, which doesn’t seem to build on what the rest of it sounds like. Overall, though I would’ve wished it to have gone further in some places, it’s just not that kind of song, and I can’t judge it for what I wanted it to be, only what it is.
From the EP, True Colors, I enjoyed the clashing beat of Blue Jeans, BoA’s feature in the synthy Swing (my hidden gem), and the gospel influences in Why. I’ll give U-Know an 8.25 out of 10.
Verdict: TL;DR
My top EP was Joohoney’s Lights, with Changbin’s solos as a runner-up. I had a lot of fun with this, and I wasn’t expecting my top choices at all! Please read the other posts in this category here. Please read the other posts in this category here. Tschüss!!
Let me know your thoughts!