It feels like 84 years have passed since Cube Entertainment shot themselves in the foot and kicked out HyunA and former PENTAGON member E’Dawn over their relationship going public. There was no question that HyunA would find a new home and thrive (after all, this isn’t her first rodeo in that department), but more questions lingered instead of E’Dawn, who had only debuted two years prior with PENTAGON. Known as a key songwriter for his group, many fans were left to wonder the fate of both the rapper and his former group with the loss of such a prominent figure. 

And yet, despite being a major factor in PENTAGON’s growing success at the time, it was difficult to contemplate how the artist would fare on his own. Over a year after the announcement of his departure from Cube, E’Dawn has finally rebranded himself as DAWN and has made his debut as a solo artist with his single release, “MONEY.” 

The Single: “MONEY”

Even as a fan of DAWN myself, I wasn’t sure what to expect in his solo debut. The only clue I could really rely on was that it would probably have hip-hop undertones, if nothing else. I was a little taken aback by the softer opening to the song, something more akin to a ballad than a classic hip-hop beat. DAWN’s vocal timbre has always been unique, and it’s hard for me to decide if it works well with this style of music or not. Regardless, after getting used to the slower tempo track, there’s a certain charm to his vocals. The tempo picks up slightly at the chorus, driving the song into a more familiar territory, at least melodically. There’s not much variation in his rapping or vocal tone, which can get a little bit flat as time goes on. I may have had some higher expectations for DAWN’s solo debut, but “MONEY” remains as a solid enough release. 

The video makes use of a lot of unconventional lighting, at least in the sense that there is not a light in the foreground to highlight DAWN himself. The subdued tones make it more difficult to make out the details—an interesting artistic choice. DAWN is certainly a great actor, and he portrays the intensity of emotions that go along with the lyrics very well. Though his movements and the choreography seem to be sharper and more intense than the track is itself, the performance still beautifully complements the song.

All in all, I’m a little disappointed with this solo debut. I think that DAWN is capable of much more as an artist just in general, and I don’t feel like “MONEY” represents his true talent. While it’s not a bad song by any means, it just doesn’t stand out in a way that solo debuts should. Still, I’m glad to see him back in the K-Pop scene and I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.