Donghan is Haunted by a “Goodnight Kiss”
Former JBJ maknae Kim Donghan has made his first comeback since debut with new mini-album D-NIGHT, featuring five new tracks. Unlike the first album, Donghan does not feature any additional artists on this album, and instead takes it on fully solo. The album features a multitude of genres within it, presenting something different from his debut.
“Goodnight Kiss”
“Goodnight Kiss” is a modern pop track that infuses hip-hop and EDM elements, and shifts musically from verse to verse. Donghan shows off his musical versatility with not only singing, but dancing and even some rap! The song may seem odd or difficult to comprehend upon first listen, but it quickly becomes catchy and memorable. While we aren’t attaching as quickly to this title as we did to “Sunset,” it’s still a solid track that’s definitely worth checking out.
Not surprisingly, the visuals are what makes this release really stand out. Even with some god-awful bright orange hair, Donghan still manages to be a total knockout. There’s no doubt that this young boy has an intense charisma and a killer air about him, but even with that knowledge we weren’t prepared for his broody concept scenes. On top of that, he absolutely nails the choreography, which is clearly very challenging. The killing point without question is the bold hip movements in the chorus, which are guaranteed to send you sprawling onto the floor.
The Album
D-NIGHT kicks off with track “Born,” produced by OBROS, Zomay, and 5$. It is a bright and refreshing funk-inspired song that leaves the listener with a light and airy feeling, much like the early days of spring. Next follows “Call My Name,” a track that is very reminiscent of JBJ’s final title “Call Your Name,” and feels almost like an affirmation of the final song the group left with us. Donghan sings “I will always be there for you,” leaving Joyfuls feeling a sense of peace and warmth. The song was clearly meant as a promise to fans, much like “Call Your Name.”
The title track is followed up by “Tipsy,” a musically different song from his previous releases. While clearly funk-inspired from the heavy bass, it also has a playful tone that we haven’t heard from the boy before. “Tipsy” is an all-around fun track and is one of our favorites on the album, perhaps because it presents a new side to the solo singer. We conclude the album with a softer, more ballad-focused “아직은,” a heartfelt song that expresses Donghan’s emotions in a way the other tracks do not. The song is a great conclusion to the album, bringing it full circle with the soft melody.
The album is definitely on par with Donghan’s debut, and will likely be a treat for Joyfuls who are still loyal to the solo artist. Whether or not the album is enough for him to break into the mainstream of the K-Pop industry remains to be seen with this release, but going forward there is no doubt that Donghan continues to prove his musical talent as a solo artist.