A New Era for Woosung: 4444

It’s Woosung’s world and we’re all just living in it. Or, at least, that’s the conclusion you’re likely to come to when listening to the singer’s second full album, 4444.

The album opens with “Paper Cuts,” featuring New Vaticans, and immediately puts the vocals in the forefront. Woosung has one of those voices that’s just so singular in the K-Pop landscape; with his honeyed, slightly raspy falsettos set against an almost church-like backtrack, the opening song immediately grabs your attention. 

“Before We Die” starts like something out of a coming-of-age movie, building on electronic beats and anthemic vocals, until the surprising beat drop in the chorus. In an interview with V Magazine, the singer mentioned wanting to delve into electronic music, and if this track is anything to go by, that was a choice well made. “Day That I Died,” the pre-release track from August, follows and could not be more different from its predecessor. Heartbroken and forlorn, Woosung croons solemnly against a piano and cello in this track that’s sure to end up on many breakup playlists this season. 

4444 is led by title track “44 (Forget Forever),” which sounds like the amalgamation of all the songs before it. The track seamlessly blends heartfelt vocals along with an electronic beat that’s as sonically beautiful as it is infectious. As a casual listener, electronic music is not something I ever expected from Woosung, but it’s a genre that fits him so, so well. 

The music video stays on the simpler side, focusing instead on the song’s message of living in the moment. In the video, Woosung is shown alongside two dancers, with all three showered in subdued blue lighting. The EDM elements in the music come to life with flashing lights that build throughout the video with each chorus.

“Never Let Go,” short and sweet at just over two minutes, rides that same EDM high, but with a heavier sound. “Found You,” however, follows a more traditional route, starting off quiet but with a big finish. “Happy Alone” features B.I, and leans into a bluesy sound—something I’ll never get enough of when it comes to a voice like Woosung’s. The album rounds out with a duet with BOL4, “Let There Be Light,” and their voices contrast beautifully, though the track does admittedly sound like the start of something new rather than a finish. Maybe this is just a taste of what’s to come.