On Sep. 19, 2024, Yeonjun of K-pop boy group TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) released his second solo song after “Boyfriend,” an original soundtrack (OST) for the K-drama “Cinderella at 2AM.” This is what one would describe as “noise music” with elements of hip-hop and electro. However, K-pop stans, more often than not, use the term “construction music” instead. This could be used as a compliment as well as a diss. “Construction music” challenges the barriers of what makes a song “good” and aims to make that song in a way that’s not conventionally regarded as “musical.”
In the article, “Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun on solo release: ‘I’m going to keep challenging myself,’” by Olivia Munson on USA Today, Yeonjun shares, “I was actually chewing on gum when I was in the car, and it just came to me all of a sudden.” The article delves into the concept of the song, which is how one can exude swagger and confidence when chewing gum. He also laments, “It was very challenging to do the vocals, the rap and the dance all at once…I came to really respect solo artists.”
The song begins with a heavy bass and synth, a very strong start to any track. Yeonjun whispers, “Y-J,” as a tagline for the song, which was a small but really cool touch.
The track goes right into a catchy chorus, where Yeonjun raps with a vocal effect that pitches his voice higher. It’s definitely a choice. Whether or not it’s a good one is definitely debatable, but critics are leaning more towards the answer being a definite, “No.”
The catchiness, unfortunately, cannot save the chorus and pre-chorus from being extremely repetitive. Two low piano notes playing in quick succession of each other make up almost half of the pre-chorus. It stands out next to the high-pitched voice, but listeners can’t help but wish there was more substance in the form of actual lyrics in the pre-chorus.
The first verse is definitely better than the second with his chill rap style. He makes some interesting vocal choices when it comes to his execution of the second verse, but it would have been more preferable if he stuck to the light and airy flow he had in the first verse.
Verdict: Although this is definitely not the best K-pop song ever to grace your ears, it is one that will stick in your head for a while.