It’s a Splash Celebration with Lee Jinhyuk
After six months since the grand debut, Lee Jinhyuk is back this summer with his first mini-album, Splash! After a grand entrance onto the scene, the soloist is already seeing more success with his first comeback, with title music video “Bedlam” already tripling in views from his previous title “I Like That.”
Title Track: “Bedlam”
Released in late June, it’s only fitting that Jinhyuk’s latest comeback would be a fitting summer track. “Bedlam” has a childlike bounce to it that is reminiscent of some of the lighter works of ZICO like “Any song.” The soloist always incorporates a hip-hop beat into his tracks and that is certainly true of “Bedlam,” though the brighter atmosphere of the song makes it less apparent. Though the track certainly has its own charm for its sunny disposition, it doesn’t quite live up to the quality of Jinhyuk’s debut title “I Like That.”
The video is as fun as the track itself. Beginning with a shot of Jinhyuk working overtime at an office while in a facemask (very relevant to the current state of things), the track kicks off as he becomes fed up and starts making a mess. If that’s not a big mood, we don’t know what is. The plain office space set is contrasted by flashing lights and neon colors and often accompanied by choreography shots to show two different sides to the singer. The theme is cute and adds to the overall upbeat track while showcasing Jinhyuk’s dancing skills as well.
The Album
The B-sides of Splash! kick off with “Picasso,” a track that certainly has a number of surprises in store. Kicking off with an old-timey jazz piano line, the song quickly jumps into a modern hip-hop melody unexpectedly, throwing the listener for a loop as the main melody is joined by Jinhyuk’s rap. The retro melodic line returns in the pre-chorus, creating a very interesting contrast between then and now that is still surprisingly smooth. Besides having a very distinctive sound, the track is also quite catchy and certainly has title track potential.
Up next is “Rival,” a track that has a grungier opening while maintaining a catchy hip-hop beat. The feeling of the song overall adds a bad boy vibe, not unlike his past track “Villain.” The chorus has a myriad of accidentals as the soloist sings down a half step, which is certainly able to capture your attention if the rest of the song hadn’t before. The harder aesthetic of the song fits Jinhyuk’s rough vocal tone quite well and makes for a well put-together track.
Kicking off the second half of the album is “Holly Jolly,” a high-energy track driven by an EDM rhythm and accompanied by a retro electric guitar and horn melody. As expected based on the title, this song has a lot of upbeat elements and emits an overall peppy energy. “Playground” comes in to slow down the tempo but maintains the cheerful atmosphere, complete with a sample of children yelling happily. Jinhyuk also employs a lighter tone to his rapping, making his voice less gruff to match the mood.
Finally we have “Sweet Rain,” which may convey a title of something more ballad-like, but make no mistake, this track remains on par with those before it. With an innocent feel and more pop melodic influence, “Sweet Rain” feels like a quintessential summer track and resembles the title as well.
Splash! does a good job in maintaining a cohesive sound, with many of the melodies melding together quite well rather than jumping around all over the musical map. Despite that, each track has something unique to it and those unique elements are what make this album great. Jinhyuk’s debut single album was outstanding and left many of us craving even more of his music, and we think it’s safe to say that this new mini has done a good job of quenching that desire.