JBJ Says an Emotional Farewell With “Call Your Name”
JBJ has officially come out with their last release before disbandment at the end of the month. “Call Your Name” is a sweet, soft, and melancholic release that asks fans not to forget them. We’re still sobbing. We need a minute. Or a year.
The Music Video
JBJ really didn’t have to do that, but they did. As if Joyfuls weren’t dreading the end of the road with these boys enough, they had to go and release potentially the softest and most heartfelt video that could only make you fall in love with them more. With gorgeous professional shots by the sea as well as selfie cam scenes on the beach, even a casual fan of this group is bound to get emotional at the melancholic undertones of the song that on the surface show a great love and happiness for the times we’ve had, but also signify the end of an era that none of us are ready for. Member Donghan is shown opening a letter that says “don’t forget me,” before putting it into a bottle and throwing it into the ocean, a scene that is no doubt still far too raw for Joyfuls.
JBJ does cute too well, making them even more endearing and their departure from us even harder to swallow. If the entire video isn’t enough to move your heart, the ending shot of Kenta waving goodbye will certainly push you over the edge and next thing you know, tears will be rolling down your cheeks.
The Album
New Moon is a full album release, but is more like a repackage in that it contains the two previous mini-albums on top of a few new songs and special versions of others. To say that listening through this entire album at once is an emotional experience is a vast understatement. The first three songs are the new album tracks, with title “Call My Name” starting off the album. Without the bright, soft music video, it’s much easier to hear the sorrowful undertones of the song. While the lyrics speak of sweetness, the melody itself sounds like the manifestation of a farewell scene. The bittersweetness of these two sentiments mixing elicits a ridiculous amount of emotion in our hearts. How long have we been crying now? We can’t stop.
“Be Joyful” and “Just Be Stars” are the remaining new tracks, and even without going to find lyric translations, you can tell that the boys of JBJ are trying to comfort us and themselves at the end of the road. “Be Joyful” is a reminder to not get too lost in the sorrow and to remember the good times. “Just Be Stars” isn’t nearly as forgiving, as the soft, slow ballad is emotionally moving on its own without the melancholy lyrics. Sanggyun and Hyunbin’s gentle rap verses only further the group’s sentiment, since they often have a different and much rougher rap style.
After getting through these heartbreaking yet comforting new tracks, JBJ takes you on a trip back to their previous mini-albums. Listening to all of these back to back, it’s easy to hear their sound transform, and it’s incredibly nostalgic to start from the beginning and go through the journey of both albums all in one go. It’s sort of like a time capsule in that the entire album encompasses our time with JBJ, even though that time has been devastatingly short.
JBJ was a group made by fans and they certainly never forget it. Though many of us had wished to have more time with this temporary group, the time to say goodbye has now come. Even so, the boys left us this album as a gift to remember their appreciation for us and the time they spent together with Joyfuls. Even if it hurts, even if the future is uncertain, we will have a piece of that special time together to always remember.
We love you too and we’ll miss you, JBJ.