Doyoung has been a kpop idol for over a decade now, and a member of both NCT 127 and NCT U for almost as long. He’s also a part of NCT subunit DoJaeJung with fellow members Jaehyun and Jungwoo, as well as the voice behind a dozen soundtracks, but he only debuted as a solo artist last year (at time of writing).

Here are my credentials: I feel like I know of Doyoung more than know him. I’ve reviewed every NCT subunit by now (just click on one of those many links) besides NCT Wish so of course I know that he has a great voice, and I’ve complained many a time about it being underused. But a lot of K-pop idols have great voices and a lot of kpop idols go solo. I want to learn about who he is and what makes him unique. So let’s get into it!

Album #1: Youth

Having no idea what to expect of Doyoung when I clicked on the video for Little Light, I was pleasantly surprised to find a song that would feel right at home at the climax of a Studio Ghibli movie. In that aspect specifically it reminded me a lot of the band Lucy, who are known for this kind of sound. The way it’s heavily instrumented but you can still focus on the vocals is great, and the mix of strings and guitar (yes I know that’s a string instrument, don’t at me you know what I mean) is gorgeous. The chorus is sprawling and doesn’t feel like it’s in a hurry, despite the song being under four minutes. I also liked the choice not to have choreo but instead just have a video focusing on Doyoung singing and even work in a little plot and a little magic. Overall, it felt like a perfect fit for him.

(Edit: just found out that Wonsang of Lucy wrote this song; why had I not considered this before? It makes so much sense)

It’s unusual, especially now, for an idol to debut with a full album, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see it. There were many songs I liked in it, from the anime opening sound of Dallas Love Field to the classic ballad hallmarks in Rewind to the stunning combination of vocals in Time Machine (Taeyeon, Doyoung, and Mark together? Match made in Heaven, give me five more.).

But my hidden gem was Beginning, which really feels like…well, like a beginning, gentle at first before opening up in a burst of light. Soothing is the operative word for Doyoung’s voice here, but that belies the sheer power of it. And all of that isn’t even mentioning the fact that Doyoung actually wrote this one; he’s very talented and has a real ear for instrumentals. The whole song is just gorgeous.

Single #1: 17

The MV for 17 is just Doyoung sitting in a booth and singing (under spotlights so bright white that my eyes hurt, damn) but it’s sweet anyway. I know non-kpop fans have a reputation for ragging on kpop idols’ pronunciations, but I thought that he did a great job with a song all in English, which I know he doesn’t usually speak. The song itself verges on too simple for me, to be honest, going for a coffeeshop sound that I usually prefer on b-sides. but the backing vocals and Doyoung’s charisma save it. Does it carry mostly on his performance? Yes. Did I still like it? Also yes.

Single #2: First Love

First Love, despite its MV being much the same as 17’s, is much more sweeping and classic-sounding. It’s your archetypal ballad: lyrics centered around love and heartbreak, a beat with gentle peaks and valleys, and a piano-led instrumental that’s soothing in all the right ways. (I’m fairly certain it’s a cover, actually, but if it is, I couldn’t find out who the original was by; either way, he did a good job). Songs like this don’t do a lot for me, I have to admit, but I can appreciate them for what they are.

Single #3: The Story

The Story follows more in the footsteps of Little Light than the other previous singles, which is of course much appreciated by me. Driven by a percussive acoustic guitar that sometimes gives way to a gentler piano, The Story has a slow-burn that’s long been one of my absolute favorite sounds in a song. I don’t know what it is; I just can’t resist a chugging beat with a building power ballad building behind it, especially when there’s a voice as great as Doyoung’s bringing it to life. It’s one of the songs that just feels like it’s bursting to the brim with joy, the kind of thing that makes you smile even if you were certain that you wouldn’t. Needless to say, I loved it.

Album #2: Soar

Memory is both a continuation of and a departure from Doyoung’s previous singles. Sonically similar with its sharp acoustic opening sound and gentle vocals, its MV is nevertheless much darker than he’s gone before. Featuring Doyoung attempting to erase his bad memories at the expense of his humanity, it’s an eloquent and moving exploration of remembrance and the fact that you can never be happy if you remain in ignorance of the bad out in the world. I do prefer his other singles, but this one more than holds its own. I especially enjoyed the last minute, where the instrumental really springs forward in a moment of triumph.

As mentioned, it’s unusual to even have one full album as a newly debuted soloist, but Doyoung has two just a year in, and this one has a lot to live up to. It sets about that mission right from the outset, with opener Wake From The Dark melding a gentle acoustic sound and a slowly soaring one that come together in the best way. Besides that, there’s the twinkling, string-led First Step, the soaring (hah!) classical strings of Luminous, and the soft rock of Sand Box.

But in my opinion, none of those hold a candle to Just Friends. Featuring only Doyoung and a guitar, its lyrics (penned by Doyoung himself) are so quietly heartbreaking yet so clearly bursting to the seams with unexpressed love, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t choke me up just a little. Sometimes a song comes into your life at just the right time, and this one was right there for me. Sob story aside, just in general I feel like this is one of those albums you really can’t skip through or do justice to in a highlight reel. Instead it’s one that needs to be enjoyed slowly, headphones on, frolicking through a field, or something equally as wholesome. I mean this as the highest of compliments, of course.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. Like I said, I really didn’t know much about Doyoung as a solo artist before this, and I’m happy to say that I’ve changed that. For this deep dive, I rewatched his episode of the NCT 127 documentary The Lost Boys and got to learn more about how much singing itself means to him—something that really comes through in his performances—as well as a couple episodes of his interview show with Haechan, Muk2U, which was so much fun.

My Top 5 songs were The Beginning, Little Light, Dallas Love Field, and Just Friends, with Memory as an honorable mention. Doyoung gets an 8.75 out of 10 from me. As I said before, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed his work. It’s full of so much light (pun very much intended) and so much love. And of course, his incredible voice, which is truly one in a million, capable of such power while still remaining heartwarming and comforting. Not all of his songs connected with me, but I can bet that each one means the world to someone out there. I’m so excited to see where he goes next.

Next time, we’re onto another soloist, with the return of a special guest. Tschüss!