B-Sides: When SM Artists Go Solo
With anticipation mounting for Kai’s solo debut on November 30, The Kraze thought it’d be fun to revisit a few B-sides from other SM Entertainment acts that started in groups before releasing solo albums.
“Guess Who” by TAEMIN
The first member to go solo from SHINee was maknae TAEMIN, who released his first solo mini-album Ace in 2014. The follow-up to that was 2016’s Press It, TAEMIN’s first solo full-length album, featuring B-side “Guess Who.” The track starts out mildly ominous, complete with a scream and gunshots, and continues to ride that ominous vibe throughout, with TAEMIN’s voice and a heavy Michael Jackson influence being the icing on the cake.
“기름때 Grease” by Jonghyun
The K-Pop world was utterly shocked and devastated when Jonghyun’s passing was announced, with that devastation still felt today by Shawols. Released posthumously, Jonghyun’s second full-length album Poet | Artist features B-Side “기름때 Grease.” It’s a slow and smooth R&B track with electronic elements leading into the chorus, with Jonghyun providing the lyrics, music, and arrangement for the track.
“Chemicals” by Key
Key’s solo debut was on November 6, 2018 with album Face. Continuing the SHINee streak of first solo releases playing off of TAEMIN’s solo releases—with TAEMIN’s first solo release being Ace and Jonghyun’s being Base—Face features 10 tracks, including B-side “Chemicals.” “Chemicals” is a pop track with Key singing, “I’m crazy for your chemicals,” before the track drops into fun electronic bliss. A fun side note, the track features music by American DJ Skrillex.
“Poppin’” by Baekhyun
“Poppin’” is off of EXO and SuperM member Baekhyun’s second mini-album Delight, the first solo album to sell over 1,000,000 copies in Korea in over 19 years. “Poppin’” is described as an urban R&B hip-hop track but could also be described as an electro-pop track, featuring Baekhyun’s smooth and sweet vocals as he sings about the overwhelming feelings of happiness when one is in love.
“Made In You” by Suho
Before enlisting in the military earlier this year, EXO member Suho released his first solo mini-album Self-Portrait. Featuring different genres of rock throughout the tracklist, B-side “Made In You” is a mid-tempo pop-rock track featuring a fun drum and piano beat. A love letter from Suho to EXO-L, the lyrics center around Suho’s belief that his fans have helped him make it as far as he has and have helped him become who he is today.