It is time to familiarise ourselves with a new group. Well, new group in the case for my blog. H&D is a male duo, consisting of former X1 members Lee Hangyul and Nam Dohyun. They have yet to make their official debut, but they did release a track (and promoted it) back in February 2020, Toward Tomorrow. I haven’t reviewed this track and will do once I get some free time in the near future. But rather than waiting around for that review, let’s dig into their comeback pre-release single, Unfamiliar, which is released ahead of their upcoming official debut on April 21.

Unfamiliar is a mid-tempo R&B track that is bound to blow you away for a number of reasons, especially if you are unfamiliar with the members or H&D, in general. At first, the song is structured liked a ballad with a simple instrumental and the start zones right into the duo’s vocals. But as the song progressed along, a beat became more apparent and in the forefront. It started to build up into a really stunning piece and I liked how the song kept the classical roots as it built up. That’s the first aspect that I enjoyed with this track. The second aspect has to the vocals. Both members sounded so damn good. The harmonies are beautiful. I really like the slight husky touch in the back of Hangyul’s voice, helping bring a very mature feel to the song. Also remember that Dohyun is only 15 years old, his deep voice is remarkable in the song. And while we are talking about Dohyun, his rapping is something that cannot be missed. There was just so much depth in his rapping voice, I was in awe. The final aspect has to be the emotion that they put into the song. It sounds so heartbeaking and emotionally driven, with the latter usually being a good sign of a song. With Unfamiliar in mind, I am definitely looking forward to what this duo can bring to the world in late April.

When it comes to the visual representation of an amazing song, such as Unfamiliar, sometimes simplicity is the key. You want the viewers to focus on the song, to feel the emotions and power of the vocals. You don’t to steal that away ability from the viewers. The producers of the Unfamiliar music video did just that. In a grey setting, they placed two black pianos in the centre and dressed the duo in white, creating a strong and striking contrast. And that is it to the video. Visually, the pair stood out. But the video wasn’t over complicated with colour and plotlines that would have distracted you from the song. I find this to be a perfect music video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10