Jaehyung Park, or eaJ, as the title of this review suggests, doesn’t have the usual progression of a k-pop idol, because he isn’t exactly one anymore. After debuting in the band Day6 at age 23 in 2015, he left in 2021 just before their hiatus for military service, citing his own mental health as the reason. After a break of a little over a year, he debuted as a soloist in 2022.

Here are my credentials: So, I’ve been a fan of Day6 for a while, and I actually discovered them through Jae, whose dry sense of humor and blunt way of speaking felt like a breath of fresh air in what can be a very restrained industry. I’m still a fan of both separately, even though I do wish he was still a part of the band, and I hope that they still get along. I covered Day6 a little while back, and also took a look at eaJ’s first EP in my Soloist Rankings, but I thought I’d do a whole review now that he’s returned with new music. I do also recognize that he’s also made some serious mistakes, and while I am his fan, I’m not going to excuse him for them (nor is that what this review’s about), and I will say that everyone is entitled to feel however they want, as long as they’re respectful about it. So, let’s get into this!

Single #1: Car Crash

Car Crash was eaJ’s debut, and also the first song I ever heard from his solo career, and what a start it is. Starting with a simple pulsing beat, the synths it layers on top have this woozy, nostalgic feeling that always makes me think of driving through a city at night. It’s a fairly standard pop song, sure, but it manages to establish an identity for Jae that’s maketedly different from Day6’s brand of breakup rock ballads and from kpop in general. I have to confess, though, that before I looked up the lyrics, I couldn’t understand a damn thing he was saying, despite the fact that he’s from California. Anyway, I love the music video, and not only for the adorable love story it tells of a girl falling in love with her neighbor and them running away from her toxic boyfriend together. I also thought it was hilarious that Jae was just there, hanging out in the background, watching this all unfold. All in all, it’s a pretty great debut.

EP #1: Laughing In Insomnia

Typical Story is the single from the first EP in eaJ’s Insomnia series, and as different as Car Crash was from Day6, this song is even more so. It keeps the wooziness, sure, but besides that, it’s far more stripped back, its words skipping by in the blink of an eye. For a song that’s only two minutes long, it packs a punch. I’m not a fan of over-auto tuning, even when it’s a stylistic choice like it is here, so I admit that I appreciated the song more than I liked it. I preferred the parts where he sang in his own voice, a voice that’s always been one of my favorites in kpop. I loved the line “there’s power in stories”, though; I have a feeling that it’s going to become a through line in his work.

From the EP, I enjoyed the reverberating background voices in Sober Go Away and the easygoing sound of Wallflower, but my hidden gem, like it was in my original review, is Traveler. Then, I pointed to its incredible vocals and the “comforting” feeling of his anger. But as the months have gone on, I’ve come to appreciate it more, noticing things like the grounding drum beat, the slowly rising ebb and flow of Jae’s voice, and the layering of the different through lines. It remains one of my favorite songs of his.

EP #2: Smiling In Insomnia

Safe In The Rain is next on the list of singles, and like Typical Story, it doesn’t have an MV. It’s definitely a step up for me, with both more complicated lyrics (“below all the rubber the symphonies rumble” for example) and a better balance of showing off Jae’s voice while making its message heard. Its hook, “there’s something safe in the rain”, a metaphor for feeling more comfortable for pain, while still making use of autotune, feels much more honest with Jae’s real voice. My one big gripe is that it’s just so short! It’s a good song, but I think it could be honestly great with an expansive bridge and a final chorus to tie it all together.

From the EP, I enjoyed the tense underlying beat and building hook of Enemy and the coffee shop sound and chanty post-choruses of LA Stars. My hidden gem was Lennon, which breezes along with a classic, nostalgic feeling and a solid guitar accompaniment.

EP #3: Medicated Insomnia

Pacman, the third and final part of the insomnia trilogy, finally gets a music video, which I’m very happy about. Its first minute operates on a simple, insistent piano beat with only Jae’s quiet voice for company, and then it’s like the song itself takes a breath and lets go, the second half bursting out of his chest like he just can’t keep it in anymore. He starts belting and the strings go off in a blast, and though it’s an incredibly short song (clocking in at a whopping 1:28), it’s the most affecting of all of his singles so far. I hope he does more with this kind of sound.

From the EP, I enjoyed the heartbreaking silence of Sincerely and the gospel-influenced backing vocals of 50 Proof. My hidden gem was In My Civic, which leans further into rock-pop than eaJ has before, a sound that really suits him.

Single #2: Castle In The Sky

Castle In The Sky begins in a similar way to Pacman, albeit with a more classic ballad sensibility. Its gentle vocals and barely audible instrumental keep the floor open for the immense vulnerability in its lyrics (“If I were to disappear, I don’t know if you could tell”; “Am I to blame, darling, for all your pain?”). Jae’s voice has never sounded better, echoing in an abyss that doesn’t ever answer back. I was half expecting the song to blossom into another power ballad like Pacman did, but honestly, I’m kind of glad that it didn’t. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break, and as sad as the lyrics are, listening to the song still feels soothing, in an odd way.

EP #4: When The Rain Stopped Following Me

When The Rain Stops is at a disadvantage from the start, I admit it, because it just so happens that one of my favorite songs of all time is a kpop song called When This Rain Stops, by Wendy of Red Velvet, so it’s a bit hard to not compare them. Thankfully, Jae’s song cuts its own path, its verses mellow and bassy (is that a word?), while its lyrics pierce straight through. It’s probably his most self-reflective song to date, with lines like “even when the pain’s gone, I can feel it haunting me…I have trouble believing that I could be a good guy”, and most hauntingly, “I’ll be sorry ’til I die, and if you’re wondering, I may have tried a couple times”. It took a few listens for that line to sink in, but when it did…damn.

Its hook may be his best, exploding with the force of Pacman’s but with far more polish, while still feeling vulnerable. To cap it off, the guitar riffs in the bridge as he begs for forgiveness are just that extra bit of great that one of his titles needed to go from good to excellent. It’s a new high for Jae, bringing together all the things that worked best in his discography and making them still feel fresh. It’s a fantastic song, no cap, and I hope that it’s a new step forward in his career.

This EP is easily his best yet, with every song holding its own and showcasing a different side of eaJ’s discography yet working with each other. It’s so tough to choose a hidden gem. I could talk about the intentional vocal fry in Friendly Fire, the vulnerable, breathless delivery of I Just Want My 20s Back, or the scuzzy guitar hook of Right Where You Left Me for hours, trust me. But if I have to pick one, it would have to be Burn. Said by Jae to be a song written from the perspective of God making him face the consequences of his actions, Burn is a gut punch of a song that’s also undeniably catchy. Led by a percussive instrumental and an electric guitar, it’s one of his best performances, not only in terms of how good his vocals are but how well his tone comes across. Salem Ilese, the featured artist, is a solid addition too, and they sound great together.

EP #5: 1

Merry Go Round continues the vulnerable lyricism of eaJ’s past singles, with lines like “it takes two and I’m half the problem”, while its central metaphor of a merry go round is similar to the idea that drives Car Crash, of a mess of a relationship that remains so enthralling that it’s impossible to break away. Its synthy beat is more bass-heavy than many of his past singles, and it opts for an instrumental chorus instead. It’s simple but effective, although I admit I’m partial to the production and message of When This Rain Stops over it.

From the EP, I enjoyed the contrast of the light vocals with the cutting lyrics of Ruin My Life, the incredibly gentle sound of Pause, and the backing strings in Red. I wish this mini wasn’t so short.

Single #3: Put It On Me

Though his last EP wasn’t really my style, Put It On Me is right up my alley. Not only do I love songs that reach out to someone—romantically or otherwise—but I love songs with a gentle build towards something, and this ticks both those boxes. It’s warm and comforting, with lines like “we can share the weight if you hold up your side” and “I’m just begging you to waste my time”. Inspired by an interaction Jae had with a fan that, in his words, “brought me back to life.” It’s a simple yet incredibly effective track that hits in all the right ways. To me, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of When This Rain Stops (few things do), but it comes damn close.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I watched more interviews than usual for this review, wanting to catch up on all I’d missed from the last few years. I ended up with his recent one with the Zach Sang show and a second with Talks International, both of which were great. It was lovely to hear him talk again and finally be able to say everything he wants to. It unfortunately didn’t work out for me to see eaJ on his current tour, but I hope I’ll get the chance to see him on another one; from everything I’ve seen, he’s as great a performer as ever.

And as for his controversies, from all I’ve seen throughout this review, he seems to have truly learned from his mistakes. It seems a bit odd to say that I’m proud of a man who’s older than my oldest brother. But Jae seems genuinely happy, in a much better place than he was a few years ago, and I’m proud of him. I’m proud to say that I’m still his fan.

My Top 5 songs were Car Crash, When The Rain Stops, Traveler, Burn, and Pacman, with Safe In The Rain as a hidden gem. eaJ gets a 9.25 out of 10 from me, which I wasn’t expecting, but funnily enough, is the same score I gave Day6, so maybe it was fate. While some parts of eaJ’s music aren’t for me (like over-auto tuning or very short songs), I can respect them as stylistic choices and not a product of laziness. His music isn’t the kind I typically cover on this blog, but, like I said when reviewing Castle In The Sky, sometimes it’s nice to have something different once in a while. I really like the new route he’s taken, a route that feels much more honest to the kind of person he is. Dipping into electro, pop, alternative, and even a bit of rock, his work is that of an artist finding their voice and honing their sound, and being able to witness that (somewhat in real time) is such an amazing experience.

Next time, we’re onto a girl group I know almost nothing about. Tschüss!