(Featuring Tzuyu, Irene, Soojin, Goo Hara, and Youha)
This time, 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 female soloists, from Red Velvet to 2NE1. So, let’s get into it!
(See all solo rankings here) (Part 5, featuring Soojin, Yves, Youha, Seohyun, and Hara)
Tzuyu debuted as the youngest member (or maknae) and only Taiwanese member of k-pop superstar group TWICE in 2015, and has always been one of my favorites, alongside Jihyo and Nayeon. She debuted as a soloist just a few months ago, in Korean, and I’m excited to check it out.
Run Away starts out like a true-blue ballad, trilling piano and gliding strings as Tzuyu sings the first chorus, all the emphasis on her face. And then, right about the half-minute mark, the beat picks up, layering synths and handclap beats for a minimalist first verse before diving back into the chorus for a second try on the dance floor. It’s a good song, easy to tap your foot to or to imagine as the soundtrack to a kdrama. And yet, it just feels like there’s something missing, like the song is an echo of a much stronger song like TWICE’s I Can’t Stop Me. It’s set up to be grand, but is just a bit too understated and a bit too easygoing to really get there.
From the EP, AboutTZU, I enjoyed the layered, synthy sound of One Love and the tropical influences of Losing Sleep, but my hidden gem was easily Lazy Baby, with its delightfully chipper humor and cheerfully tongue-in-cheek chorus. I’ll give this EP an 8.5 out of 10; its b-sides are so much more unique and fun than the title would suggest.
#2: Irene of Red Velvet
Irene is the exact opposite of Tzuyu; despite debuting at around the same time (Red Velvet’s Happiness came out in 2014), she is both Korean and the oldest member at age 33 (gasp!). I consider myself a ReVeLuv or Luvvie—they were actually one of the first kpop groups I became a fan of—and so, Irene and all the members hold a special place in my heart, and I’ve been looking forward to her getting her time in the spotlight for, frankly, years. So, when they announced her solo debut for November of 2024, I decided it was high time for another soloist ranking.
My hopes were admittedly, very high for Like A Flower, and so, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little underwhelmed. The song goes for a minimalistic twinkling synthy sound that’s a good fit for Irene, who sounds great, skipping along with the kind of light-footed beat that always makes me think of ballet. It’s not a bad song by any stretch of the imagination, but I suppose that I wished it used more imagination. As it stands, the song is notable because of Irene, not the other way around; while Wendy, Joy, and Seulgi’s solos explored genres different to Red Velvet (ballad, jazz-pop, and girl crush), this ties her in deeper—for better or for worse.
Something I appreciate about this EP, also called Like A Flower, is that it’s not a simple 5 tracks, like is usual, but a solid 8, giving Irene the room to explore a little. But it mostly sticks in the same minimalist synth, coffee-shop realm, and again, though there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not a style that I find particularly gripping. If I had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be either Start Line, which is propelled along by a driving beat, or Winter Wish, whose synths are much peppier, bopping with some retro inspiration. So, I’ll give this EP an 8 out of 10, with apologies.
Moonbyul is one of four members of the group MAMAMOO, and is usually designated as their main rapper, though she does, of course, also sing. I admit that I’m not really a fan of them (read more about that here), as I find it hard to look past their many controversies, including cultural appropriation and yes, actual blackface (I hope I speak for us all when I say, are you fucking kidding me), but this is a music blog, and I can’t deny that the members have left an indelible impact on kpop. So, let’s get into it.
Eclipse, like Run Away, initially feels like a ballad, but a far more foreboding one. The combination of the singular, haunting piano and her voice sends a shiver up your spine, before Moonbyul comes in like a battering ram with her signature bombastic energy. I was pleasantly surprised by how fully realized the chorus is and how she transitions between vocals, sing-talk, and full-on rapping, despite her mainly being a rapper. The intermittent, somewhat demonic (?) voices reminded me of Dreamcatcher’s Scream, which is definitely a compliment. My biggest issue wasn’t actually with the song itself, but with the video. Specifically, that she’s appropriating a black hair style in 2020. I won’t say anything besides: come on. Seriously?
From the EP, Dark Side Of The Moon, I enjoyed the contrast of sing-talk and smoother vocals in Mirror and unsettling, chiming piano in Moon Movie. I’ll give this EP a 7.75; good, but not for me.
CL, like Moonbyul, is part of a four-member group where she’s the main rapper. Unlike Moonbyul, though, I’d say she’s better known for her solo career. I covered 2NE1 and really liked them, and so I decided that I wanted to give her music a try too, starting with her first album, to see if I want to do a full review of her.
To be honest, based on the tracks that I’ve heard from her before, I was expecting not to like Tie A Cherry, not in the least because I don’t usually like sing-talk. But again I was pleasantly surprised; though I’m not the biggest fan of the video’s design choices, the fairly one-note instrumental, or the over-auto tuning, I can appreciate it for what it is. At its core, it’s a fairly solid song that survives on the strength of CL’s performance skills and her quick-witted phrases. I won’t be coming back to it, but I’m not angry at it either.
From the album, Alpha, I enjoyed the funny lyrics’ pride of Korea in Spicy, the slight reggae and moombahtom influences in Xai, the call-and-response chorus of Hwa, and the powerful vocals of crying-on-the-dancefloor bop Siren. My hidden gem was Lover Like Me, which is basically, it’s what could be a standard pop song done in the best way one can be. Never underestimate the power of a pop song, dear reader. I’ll give this release an 8.5 out of 10; it oscillates between songs I really like and ones that just hurt my ears, so I’m not sure exactly what to say, except that I wish this could’ve been a five or six song EP and not a full album.
Luna is one of five founding members of F(x), a now-disbanded kpop group formed by SM known both for their experimental style and for the untimely death of former member Choi Jinri (Sulli). Luna was their main vocalist, and in the years since their hiatus, debuted as a soloist in 2018.
Free Somebody is unique from the other singles on this list for several reasons, not only because it’s far more upbeat but because of the way its MV combines live-action and very cartoonish animation. You’d think it would come across as weird or shoved-in but it doesn’t; instead, it works really well. The song itself is tailor-made to be played on a dance floor during Pride Month (I’m not going to elaborate on that too much, but rest assured, that’s a compliment), with a sledgehammer synth beat, an expansive chorus, and a hook that straddles the line between catchy and incessant. It’s just great, and I’ll absolutely be adding it to my playlists.
From the EP, Free Somebody, I enjoyed the ethereal vocals of Breathe, the distorted funk of Keep On Doin’, and the moving emotion in My Medicine, but my hidden gem was Galaxy. I’ve actually heard this song a few times before, but let me tell you, its racing synths, reach-for-the-stars hook, and effervescent charm just never get old. I’ll give Luna a 9 / 10 for this release; I wish she had more music!
Verdict: TL;DR
My top EP was Luna’s Free Somebody at 9, with CL’s Alpha as a runner-up. It’s interesting; while I knew nothing about Luna and was judging her only on the content of the music, I judged CL from the opposite direction, knowing more about her as a person. Either way, they both created great works, and who knows? Maybe I’ll be checking out the rest of CL’s for a full review.
Next time, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming. Tschüss!
Let me know your thoughts!