You’re Kim Donghan’s Dazzling Sunset
It’s not surprising that the first word to come to mind when thinking of Donghan’s debut is mesmerizing. It’s hard to deny how talented the young boy is, and all of that is showcased in both his vocal prowess and dancing skills. The music video focuses mainly on his strong dancing skills and his out-of-this-world visuals (seriously, we forgot how to breathe there for a minute).
The aesthetics of the video are very reminiscent of fellow member Longguo’s recent debut, with a lot of focus on bright, contrasting colors in the background and no major spotlight interrupting those vivid colors. Scenes go between the red and orange sunset hue to the darker blue of night, complementing the lyrics. The song itself is definitely fit for your summer playlist, with an upbeat hip-hop feel to it that gets more addicting with every listen, and it is fairly strong on its own. The visuals and choreography, however, are definitely what make this title pop.
The Mini
Donghan had some surprises for fans with the features on his mini. He continues to prove the bond with former group members is strong by bringing on Sanggyun to rap in track “기록해줘,” a slow and warm hip-hop track very reminiscent of JBJ’s True Colors album. Fans of JBJ will definitely be thrown back into a wave of nostalgia upon first listen, as Donghan remains faithful to his group’s sound.
The album opens with funky “D-Day,” a song that really stands out for its use of the rhythm guitar in the melody. This element adds a differentiating factor from the otherwise generic EDM-influenced sound that we often hear in most songs and sets the tone for an upbeat and relaxing album. The song transitions into the title track “Sunset” very smoothly, which keeps the energy up. The two tracks played back to back definitely have a warm summer sunset feel to them, providing a perfect picture of a beautiful day at the beach transitioning into a fun and happy night.
Next on the list is “Ain’t No Time,” which follows the formula of the two tracks before it. The track itself, however, doesn’t stand out as much as the previous, and gives Wooseok a fairly short rap verse. Sanggyun’s featured track follows as the second-to-last, and it changes the angle of the sound of the whole album with its slower side and clearly JBJ-influenced sound, while the previous tracks were definitely unique to Donghan. The album concludes with soft, sweet ballad “새벽전화,” which focuses on Donghan’s strong vocals over a pleasant piano melody.
Donghan’s debut is definitely a strong one. For Joyfuls it could be one of the best, but it’s hard to say if I only think that because I’m very biased towards JBJ members. Regardless, it’s definitely worth checking out. Let’s welcome Donghan back to the K-Pop scene!