Tremendous Junior’s Eunhyuk made his idol debut almost twenty years in the past. Throughout these a long time, he’s been energetic in sub-units and even launched a pair solo tracks. Nonetheless, he’s by no means delivered a solo album. With the discharge of Explorer, he’s lastly taken the plunge. And like every artist ought to, he’s taken this chance to develop a sound that clearly means one thing to him.
The sound in query is early-90’s hip-hop — that candy spot between rap and new jack swing earlier than the style morphed and grew and took over the world. In Ok-pop phrases, it’s laborious to take heed to Up N Down with out referencing first-gen artists like Hyun Jin-young. The music sits proper beside classics from the period like You In Obscure Reminiscence, making it really feel like a tribute to Eunhyuk’s personal idols. It is a nice match between music and artist, benefiting from the numerous expertise Eunhyuk has honed over his years with Tremendous Junior.
That is additionally a style that significantly appeals to me. The beat is shiny and incessantly groovy, preserving the monitor aloft by way of its upbeat spirit. And relatively than shout over the instrumental, Eunhyuk performs in a extra melodic type perched midway between singing and rapping. His voice turns into one other software within the manufacturing’s hyper-rhythmic arsenal, leading to a monitor that clicks collectively in satisfying lockstep. It’s protected to say the very lengthy watch for a solo Eunhyuk mission was value it.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B