Hello, k-dreamers! Welcome to the first kpop review of 2021! This week’s spotlight goes to Jeong Sewoon with his latest comeback “In the Dark.” This is a little strange to say, but this song actually isn’t my favourite one I’ve heard this week. I also checked out fromis_9’s “Starry Night” and preferred that song over this one. However, that song was pretty straightforward (and it came out September of last year), so there wasn’t much to discuss. I felt compelled to comment on the music choices made for this… healing song?
Would you call this a healing song?
Although I didn’t watch Produce 101 Season 2, I have become a fan of Jeong Sewoon’s music. My favourite song from him is “My Ocean,” which can easily be classified as a “healing song.” It has a gentle piano, soothing vocals, and lyrics that are almost as effective as a warm hug at the end of a long day. “In the Dark,” however, doesn’t have any of those things. There is a theme of hope through hard times which has been all the rage (and much needed) ever since the pandemic hit. But rather than trying to soothe the listener, the song wants to lift their spirits with an upbeat rhythm.
While there aren’t regulations for how to make a healing song, I feel like the song chooses to emphasize the depressing thoughts over the optimism, as if telling the listener that “it’s alright” to have them. This choice is quite irregular compared to other healing songs. But irregular doesn’t mean bad, especially in this case.
Lyrics and themes aside, how’s the music?
The lyrics are my favourite part of this song. The music left me wanting more. A rather interesting music choice was the use of a “chipmunk voice” layered underneath Jeong Sewoon’s vocals during the chorus. While I appreciate the attempt at adding texture to the song, I don’t really care much for the chipmunk voice effect. It just sounded a little odd.
I also feel like this song could have been better if they had done something different for the third chorus. By that time, I had subconsciously stopped listening because I already knew how it would end. Jeong Sewoon doing a few adlibs or even just adding an outro would have improved my impression of the “In The Dark.”
Honourable Mention(s): fromis_9 – Starry Night (the music video came out Dec 31!)
If you like this song, check out: NU’EST W – Dejavu (2018), Taeyeon – Spark (2019), Ong Seong Wu – We Belong (2020)
I know it wasn’t that big of a hit for me, but what did you guys think of the song? Are there any songs you listened to this week that you liked? Let me know in the comments!