Gaho Shows His Musical Versatility in First Full Album
PLT’s Gaho has certainly been making a name for himself in the music industry since his debut, with a number of big name OST releases, including the track “Start Over” for hit drama Itaewon Class, which won him the “Best OST” award at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards. While we often see singles from the singer and songwriter, he has returned at the end of 2021 with his first full album, which contains a few familiar tracks and a whole lot of musical diversity.
“Right Now”
The title “Right Now” has a very longing and serious feel, and even upon first listen it is easy to feel the emotions he is conveying through the intensity of the track. Gaho breaks into falsetto as the chorus drops, which packs quite a punch, especially when he is in a more baritone register during the verses. The slower tempo pop track has an almost ballad feel to it just based on the sheer heaviness. Epic is a word that comes to mind for the song, as it feels a lot like something that would be featured as the main song on a movie soundtrack. His vocal talents are no joke, and that is put into the spotlight in this song.
The video certainly adds to the overall heavy feeling of the song, with sepia tones and muted colors making up most of the visual palette. Even the few instances of generally brighter colors like red and green feel quite muted, and some scenes seem almost black and white if it wasn’t for the sepia effect added. We see Gaho either in rooms with little flare or in huge geographical shots, like drone shots of him on an abandoned beach with rocky cliffs. The scenery paints a vivid picture and just adds to the melancholy feeling of the track, and Gaho definitely conveys an array of emotions whilst singing.
Fireworks
Two of the tracks on Fireworks were released earlier this year, “Rush Hour” and “RIDE.” We’ve already covered our love for “Rush Hour” and the title, so let’s check out the rest of what the 12 track album has to offer.
Kicking off with “OOO,” we get a very different feel from any of the previous releases. The melody making up this track feels almost eclectic, but at the same time is weirdly addicting, especially once we get past the intro. The song carries an overall EDM-influenced feel, but that characteristic seems out of place at the same time. Take a listen for yourself and decide how to feel— it’s definitely a unique sound, but we quite like it.
“Lost my way” has a more bubbly vibe, with a piano and horn melody that gives the song a retro vibe. The instruments used in this song contrast greatly both with the song before it and the title track that follows after. While the song sounds a lot like a Lee Jinhyuk title release (to me at least), Gaho mixes lines of rap amongst his vocals to add a bit of a fresh feel to the song. If you want a happy virus kind of feel, this is the song for you. “Anyway” keeps the upbeat feel, but with a smoother type of melody that feels a little less in-your-face. It’s more like a soft acoustic track rather than a loud, horn-influenced melody. Gaho’s vocalizations in this song are the biggest highlight, as his sweet voice takes center stage and is rather infectious.
As stated in the “Rush Hour” coverage, the song brought us a lot of early 2000s nostalgia, but the following track “Afraid” definitely has a more modern feel. The prominent synths in the chorus give it a distinct tone, and the song overall has a bit of a more apprehensive type of feel than all the upbeat tracks before it. It feels like the type of pop track you would expect on an album, if that makes sense. “Part time lover” brings back the more upbeat retro feel, with a driving tempo and playful melody that just screams groovy. It has a very distinct sound compared to the rest of the album.
“RIDE” was the second release from earlier this year, and the track has a bit more R&B influence in the beat. There’s a certain swagger to the track that we don’t hear in the other songs of the album. “High” follows and brings yet another shift in sound, with an almost otherworldly melody driving the song. It’s hard to put into words how to categorize this song, but it’s something like a mix of EDM and R&B, which even still feels wrong. This is the kind of song you just have to listen to, since it feels a bit experimental.
“Crush” is the ballad entry of this album, with a very subdued melody that is barely heard supporting Gaho’s vocals. There is a lofi quality to the song, though the vocals are quite powerful, as expected of Gaho. This is a good chill song, as it definitely elicits a feeling of relaxation and differs greatly from the other tracks. The melody builds like a bolero as the track goes on before fading off at the end, which is a beautiful melody choice. “Friend” then opens with the R&B vibes, the tone switching at the chorus as Gaho goes falsetto and bringing back the feeling of early 2000s nostalgia. It’s an interesting contrast from the opening melody, which keeps the song fresh and difficult to predict. Finally we round out with “Like the moon,” an upbeat yet somewhat subdued pop track that is a feel-good song to leave you with an overall content feeling as the album comes to a close.
Overall, Fireworks brings a lot of versatility to Gaho’s discography and gives us a great look into the musician as a whole. He hasn’t had anything more than a single release since 2018, so it’s fantastic to have a full album to digest from him. There’s a little bit of something for everyone on Fireworks, and there’s no way you can deny the singer’s talent after listening to this album.