A Lonely Friday Night with Longguo

Former JBJ member Longguo has made his first comeback with the melancholy “Friday n Night,” accompanied by his first mini-album of the same title. The title track is a soft and somber ballad that recounts tales of a lost love with a nostalgic take.

Longguo proves his vocal talent with the powerful and emotional ballad of “Friday n Night,” a track that takes a sharp turn from the previous releases that he has been a part of. The most powerful moment comes in the final portion of the song, when the music key shifts up half a step. With a strong orchestral melody backing up his sweet vocals, it’s hard to find a more moving ballad out there.

The music video itself also helps paint a rather lonely picture, with a focus on Longguo quietly going about his daily activities as he sings about lost love. The color tones are more focused on pastel than intense neon colors that seem to be a popular fixation nowadays, the softness of those tones lending themselves to the overall concept. You really feel the emotions of the song in the scenes where he is sitting alone in the driver's seat of a car, raindrops staining the windshield.

The mini-album Friday n Night contains five tracks featuring ESON and Yoon Mirae. ESON is featured on two B-sides, “하룻밤” and “Universe,” while Yoon Mirae is featured on debut song “Clover,” which is also in the album. Overall, Longguo channels vibes of noted R&B artist Zion.T through his first mini-album, providing a chill and relaxing sound throughout. We picture this album complementing a chilly fall night by the bonfire, complete with cider and s'mores. Longguo’s lower vocal range lends itself for a great calm atmosphere.

It’s interesting to see the differing concept Longguo is going with for his first album. In comparison to his work within JBJ, it’s focused much more on R&B and ballad genres, bringing to light his own unique vocal tones and taste. “Clover” sticks out as his most mainstream sounding track, with a groovy feel that has more energy than the other tracks.

Longguo proves the strength in his vocal prowess with this ballad title release, a song that isn’t easily accomplished by mediocre vocalists in the industry. While he may struggle to gain the recognition he deserves, there’s no doubt that Longguo is abundantly talented and deserves your attention.