Hyolyn Opens Up with “youknowbetter”

Almost eight months after our ears were blessed with the summer bop that was “BAE,” Hyolyn has returned with an extremely emotional ballad that is sure to resonate within the hearts of all who hear it. The day that “youknowbetter” was released (May 22nd) is also one day shy of two years since the disbandment of her former group SISTAR, making this song all the more powerful in the message it conveys.

The Review

The video itself starts with a clip where Hyolyn openly discusses the courage and confidence that she feels she has gained over the past year, especially with starting her own production company Bridge Entertainment (stylized as Bridʒ) and the release of her three-part project “Set Up Time” that gathered a massive amount of success for her as a soloist. This moment of honesty and weakness perfectly matches the song that follows, which is no surprise seeing as Hyolyn herself took part in the songwriting process.

Raw is the only word that can suit her vocals for this pop ballad, as they emphasize a fragile yet powerful side to Hyolyn that had yet to come out within her recent tracks, such as “Dally” and “See Sea,” which both serve to show rather seductive and playful vocals, respectively. The refreshing change in atmosphere is very much welcomed not only by the ears of fans and stans alike, but the music video itself highlights the emotional vulnerability within her voice as her face really comes to life, expressing a pained and sorrowful story behind her words of loneliness. Featuring no backup dancers, fancy stage equipment, or even a lone butterfly, the music video really forces you to take in every last drop of her voice as she drowns in emotion under a single spotlight.