B-Sides: In Love with Solo Romeo, Niel
TEEN TOP’s Niel might be an unheard name in the current K-Pop era, but many know him for being the face of a popular boy group under TOP Media. What many fans tend to miss is the idol’s unsung journey as a solo artist. The singer made his solo debut in 2015 and released two EPs, oNIELy and LOVE AFFAIR. Though the artist's solo journey has been on hiatus for almost three years, his previous albums remain as a reminder of Niel’s quality releases.
With Niel turning 26 this month, we will be diving deeper into the unpopular solo career of the artist while picking up a few of his hidden gems from the solo album.
“Memory”
With mild keyboard notes, “Memory” opens up an R&B track showcasing the singer’s sweet vocals. The song from the fist repackage album oNIELy ‘Spring Love’ is a collaborative work with rapper V-Hawk, exploring both the singers’ vocals and rap verses. As the title suggests, the song reminisces the moments spent with a lover as everything has now turned into mere memories. V-Hawk’s rap verse in the second half of the track ultimately becomes a cherry on top when Niel layers it with his emotional and soothing vocals. The duo has a unique charm to present a gloomy track and attract listeners with the first listen.
“Affogato”
The song “Affogato” is a breezy track with mild rock instrumentals. “Our last kiss was bitter sweet. Our love was like affogato,” sings Niel in English, comparing his love with an Italian dessert. The song beautifully captures the imagery of spending time in a cosy cafe during winter. Collaborating with his teammate and TEEN TOP’s leader C.A.P, the song also features the rapper’s distinguished rap lines in the second verse. Though the song is not built up with an addictive tune and catchy chorus, the song is such an aesthetic listen.
“Lady”
“Lady” from the first mini-album oNIELy stands out from the usual R&B tracks produced by the singer. The song is another collaborative work of the artist with his teammate L.Joe. The rock-pop instrumentals and beats tend to sound similar to the ones of Michael Jackson. With Niel inviting different rappers to feature in his tracks, the singer has a pattern of letting the artists have a brief rap verse in the second half of the song. L.Joe similarly appears in the second half, clasping the listener’s heart with polished Korean and English lyrics. The song surprisingly hooks the listener’s attention during the chorus and finger snaps, which makes listeners save the track in their playlists.
“Fever”
The second mini-album LOVE AFFAIR features Niel’s upgraded version as a singer and is an album with beautiful B-sides. “Fever” is one such track and is a bright love song that sounds more like a peppy jingle. “I have fever because of you,” sings Niel as the song brings out the brighter side and excitement of being in love. “Fever” is finally a break to the fans who have been drowning with the usual gloomy tracks from his previous album.
“Signal”
“Signal” is one of the singer’s iconic melancholic melodies. The song stands out from the other gloomy tracks as the singer gives his best in delivering the vulnerability and anguish with his vocal modulations. Without lyric translations, the singer’s heavy breath during regular intervals and raw vocals clasp the listener’s heart and make them empathize with the protagonist’s pain. The song, after a mournful narration, fades, repeating “Love, pain, love, pain,” and leaving an impactful impression in the listener’s heart.
“Disappear”
“Disappear” is an R&B track that has a different narrative of a break-up. “I am gonna disappear. I am gonna stay away from you,” sings Niel as he decides to walk away from the relationship. The chorus is set in a different pattern with an influence of heavy guitar strings and metal sound, which is sure to get the listener’s attention even on the first listen. On the whole, the song has its own diverse and unique music blend.
“In the Rain”
Joining hands with Snacky Chan, Niel delivers another iconic melancholy ballad with “In the Rain.” The song captures the archetypal symbolism of rain as two lovers decide to separate their ways in the rain. The singer’s vocals are once again on point in delivering the sentimental lyrics. The song sounds like a perfect OST for a romance drama series, as the listener can clearly picture the protagonist in the rain when the lover walks away from him. With no doubt, the song stays as one of the prominent listens for a rainy day playlist.
Despite having only a few collections, Niel’s solo tracks are definitely worth jamming to on repeat. With hope of seeing more solo projects from the singer, The Kraze team wishes him success and blessings!
Which is your favorite track from Niel’s solo albums? Let us know in the comments! If you haven’t heard his work, make sure to check him out!