It’s BTS week, which means new releases apart from that album have been pretty infrequent. However, another world-conquering K-pop group has a treat of their own. Stray Kids’ Hyunjin released solo track Lover on his birthday alongside a lo-fi music video. For an act with as much cachet as they have, most of Stray Kids’ work hasn’t ventured past full group material. It’s interesting to hear a member tackle a song all their own.
To add to the appeal, Hyunjin composed Lover‘s lyrics and co-composed the music itself. When you think of self-producers within the group, he’s not the name that immediately sticks out. His sonic perspective on this song owes a lot to current trends. Male popstars of our era seem to love this sludgy trap-infused sound. I’ve found it quite claustrophobic and dull from the beginning, but now that this specific musical salad has become the default for so much 2020s music it barely elicits a reaction at all.
Hyunjin croons in a higher pitch than expected, giving his vocals a rough, unpolished flair. His performance has a similarly warped, slurred effect as the instrumental, making Lover sound tortured. The melodies are largely repetitions of the same phrasing over and over, adding to the monotony of the song. It’s clear that this is the aesthetic Hyunjin was aiming for and I’m glad he got to flex his skills. However, the song is not for me at all.
Hooks
7
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
6
RATING
6.75
Grade: D+
Tags: hyunjin, jyp, k-pop, kpop, rating 6, review, stray kids. Bookmark the permalink.