Making his solo debut last week was KANGMIN, who hails from VERIVERY. He is the first member of the group to release a solo album, with Free Falling as the lead single from his 1st solo single album of the same name. We last saw KANGMIN through VERIVERY’s RED (Beggin’) comeback from December 2025.

While it might be a little soon to say this, KANGMIN’s solo debut came and went quite quickly. And that is rather disappointing, as there are some good elements in Free Falling that make it a neat song. I like the bossa nova influence that features in the verses, and this leads well into the smooth R&B chorus. Interestingly, Free Falling also serves a side of drumstep in its chorus, which felt odd. But further listening to the song has helped warm me up to it – I have realised that it gives Free Falling a bit of a kick and energy that I have grown to appreciate. There are some things I think Free Falling could have done better. A transition between the initial chorus and the second verse would have been worthwhile. What we get feels more like a copy+paste situation between the two segments. I also wish there were more of KANGMIN’s personality or individualistic style in the song. His vocals complement both the bossa nova and R&B influences in Free Falling and, altogether, sound quite nice. But somehow his presence is lacking. I am not sure how else to describe this feeling.

According to the official description of Free Falling, the lyrics “refer to the point right before one can fully orient themselves in the air, as opposed to a fully uncontrolled fall. One may not be sure exactly where they’re headed in free fall, but they must move on nonetheless”. The latter sentence of this description is depicted throughout most of the music video. We see KANGMIN waking up in random locations, only to be wary of his surroundings and being prompted to run away from something we don’t actually see, constantly seeking a way to “move on”. The pattern repeats each time he awakens in an unknown territory. At one point, we see KANGMIN free-falling into the water, and even then, he is moving, signifying that, no matter the circumstances or unknowns, he remains in a constant state of motion to move on.

Just like the song, the performance has this smoothness that I quite liked. In contrast, however, I also really enjoyed the routine when the drumstep kicks in. The brief influence sees KANGMIN and the dancers bring in some small kicks, which gives Free Falling a relatively dynamic feel that felt just right within the context of the broader performance.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10