There Is Only One Bang Yedam
Making his long-awaited solo debut, BANG YEDAM paves his own way back into the K-Pop industry with debut EP ONLY ONE. Listeners were reintroduced to the 21-year-old with his pre-release single “Miss You,” and are now gifted with six tracks.
Tracklist:
"Only One (하나만 해)” *Title
"hebeolle (헤벌레)"
"Come To Me"
"Miss You" - Alternative Rock Version
"Not At All(하나두)"
"Miss You" - Piano Version
"Only One (하나만 해)” makes the start to a new endeavor. The playful pop track expresses wanting to be loved out loud and unconditionally. The track first showed the various ways it could be interpreted when BANG YEDAM appeared on AKMU’s KBS show 더 시즌즈-악뮤의 오날오밤, and changed the lyrics to address the duo’s Lee Chanhyuk.
The music video sees BANG YEDAM falling from the sky and exploring different paths, from hanging out and simply experiencing life in a diner to scenes of him being in the studio. His video just asks for people to support him unconditionally in whichever path he goes down and that he’s going to have fun doing it.
Debut albums hold the weight of being an introduction for new listeners, an open door that brings new listeners in from all sides of the world. ONLY ONE has a warm and welcoming atmosphere presented in all its tracks, with "hebeolle (헤벌레)" carrying this on with a light pop beat. BANG YEDAM’s voice in the small phrases within the pre-chorus leading to a falsetto sounds really nice on the track!
“Come To Me” has an ambience that makes listeners feel as if they’re underwater– BANG YEDAM is swimming in a new sound while his voice is creating the bubbles punching the surface. The frustration and determination of trying to reach the girl can be heard through his tonality and it provides a fun listen for fans to fall into this song.
Amongst all the tracks on the album, “Not At All(하나두)" is an automatic favorite, a banger from the start with its pop-infused-R&B sound. This style of song allows BANG YEDAM to have fun and be laid back on such a beat. His rap-singing style is one that I hope we hear more of with future releases to come. “Not At All(하나두)" would be such a fun song to hear live as you can almost see him on stage interacting with a crowd with this track.
“Miss You” originally dropped on November 10, featuring nothing but a piano and the 21-year-old’s voice. Through ONLY ONE, BANG YEDAM gifts listeners with an alternative rock version and an English version of the song, which also serves as the final track of the EP. BANG YEDAM’s voice matches well with both the guitar and live band instruments, as well as the piano, showing the versatility in his vocal tone.
The song’s sentiment lies in “Miss You” being the first time fans have heard a full solo song from BANG YEDAM since his acoustic pop 2020 single “Wayo.” By ending the EP with this track, fans can expect to hear from him sooner than later.
Following his departure from TREASURE late 2022, many fans have been waiting to support BANG YEDAM’s solo endeavors. ONLY ONE serves as a clean slate, acting as the foundation for any future releases to come.
ONLY ONE is available now on Spotify and all streaming platforms.