DxS Debuts with Musical Magic in Serenade

Photo: Pledis Entertainment

Fans have fervently wished for an official release from SEVENTEEN’s Dokyeom and Seungkwan since their song “Say Yes” off the group’s first studio album in 2016. With military enlistment on the horizon for both, the main vocalists of SEVENTEEN set out to stun with their unit debut album DxS 1st Mini Album ‘Serenade.’

The release starts off with a bang in Dokyeom’s solo “Rockstar.” Picking up where he left off with his solo on SEVENTEEN’s 5th Album ‘HAPPY BURSTDAY,’ DK brings power, passion, and positivity to the tracklist. Title track “Blue” quickly pushes things into somber territory; known to be two of the greatest K-Pop vocalists of their generation, it would be a tragedy for the duo to have given us anything other than a ballad. Complete with swelling strings, soaring harmonies, and even a key change, DK and Seungkwan deliver the classic ballad of a lifetime. With two such talented vocalists, songs like this can sometimes feel like a battle for dominance, and yet that’s part of the talent of these singers: never does one steal the spotlight, instead both perfectly complementing each other. It’s not a duel, but a conversation. And one I could have on repeat for months to come. 

“Guilty Pleasure” is a jazzy cut that lets the boys get slinky and soulful, especially Seungkwan in the second verse who so rarely gets to lean into his deeper register with group releases. “Silence” is another ballad, trading out strings for piano and a soft electronic beat. Seungkwan shows up with “Dream Serenade," a song with a very signature Seungkwan build. It’s a style that’s worked time and again for him in the past, allowing him to show the full range of his unique timbre. 

The album comes to a hopeful conclusion with “Prelude of love,” a pop-rock track full of spirit and optimism. This is a stark contrast to the sadness many fans may feel at the inevitability of the boys’ eventual enlistment; personally, I feel it’s reminiscent of DAY6’s Wonpil’s “A journey” that closed out his pre-enlistment Pilmography. Both tracks end their respective albums on happy notes, acknowledging that the end of one chapter is simply the beginning of another. (And as DK is quite the DAY6 fan himself, I’m sure he’d be elated at the comparison.)

Check out the cinematic video for “Blue” below and be sure to support Dokyeom and Seungkwan in their promotions.

Edited by Sandy Ou