Doyoung’s Second Solo Album Soar: Memory, Goodbyes, and the Sky
In his latest acoustic rock album Soar - The 2nd Album, NCT’s Doyoung settles gently into his now familiar acoustic melodies and orchestral swells, toying with the ephemera of memory with expansive vocals and poignant lyricism.
A year since his solo debut with Youth, NCT’s Doyoung returns with Soar, with the same sense for equally poignant, doubly nostalgic acoustic rock paired with his crystalline vocal performances.
Through the development of Soar, Doyoung worked with powerhouses of the Korean rock ballad genre, with a tracklist speckled with the contributions of household names: Yoon Dohyun of YB, Kim Yoonah of Jaurim, and Kim Jong Wan of NELL. LUCY’s Cho Wonsang returned to collaborate on Soar’s “Be My Light”, after his work on Youth’s title track “Little Light.” Doyoung’s album is both a tribute to the genre’s sound, and a bolt fixing his place among a cadre of likewise powerful vocalists, nostalgic acoustic melodies, and soulful, nostalgic ballads.
Clocking in at 36 minutes, Soar is a tender listen. Its swollen, majestic instrumentals pair softly with Doyoung’s now characteristically heartfelt vocal production.
Soar Tracklist:
“Wake From the Dark”
“Memory”
“Be My Light”
“First Step”
“Just Friends”
“Luminous”
“Still”
“Sonnet”
“Sand Box”
“Eternity”
With Youth, Doyoung produced a look-back of an album, piecemealing stories with scenes from his past. Youth captured the freshness of eager adolescent devotion through the wisdom of a man on the cusp of his thirties. These same themes echo in Soar, but with less of the tactile scenery painted across Youth. While Youth placed the listener at the boarding gate of the Dallas Airport, or in the surf of a wave cresting the vast ocean, the lilting joy of Soar gives way to time, leaving the details hazier and more ephemeral. Soar reflects more widely on a life lived, without the same detail-oriented scenery of Youth. The reality of memory gives way to time through a lyricism that reflects rather than immerses. This compromise makes Soar a hazier counterpart than its predecessor, but an equally authentic one.
As Doyoung looks ahead to his forthcoming military enlistment in the latter half of the year, and looks back on both his nine years as a member of NCT 127 and one year as a burgeoning soloist, Soar ties a string connecting the past and the future, savoring the journey as much as each destination he’s arrived at along the way. Nowhere is this more manifest than in the title track “Memory.” The music video is heavy-handed with its themes of remembrance and nostalgia: Doyoung savors each moment, even as his colorless counterpart begins to delete his memories from the hard drive of his life, either due to their sadness or their unwantedness. Yet, as the memories are recovered in the wistful conclusion, the lyrics promise to “remember every moment.”
Standout B-sides on Soar include the springy, upbeat “Be My Light” which teems with life and character, “Luminous” which showcases glorious string sections that are perhaps the most soaring sequence of Soar, and the charming synth rock song “Sand Box.” The sweeping conclusion of “Eternity” is the fitting bookend to an expansive album and a now sweeping solo career for Doyoung, as he looks onward to his next horizon. With ten carefully crafted tracks, Soar is a must-listen for fans of Korean ballads or acoustic rock, or those seeking a lush and wistful musical experience.
Edited by Sandy Ou