Tag: Roy Kim

Roy Kim made his return to the music scene with a new single, Only Then. It was released last week during the Lunar New Year week, which is why I haven’t gotten around to reviewing it yet. We last saw Roy Kim on stage last year with his comeback consisting of Egoist and Suddenly.

Roy Kim is known for his popular singles (such as Bom Bom Bom) that are fitting for the Spring season. Only Then is another ballad, that is best suited for the colder climate of Winter. The great thing about this track is that Roy Kim uses his vocals to add warmth to the song, which is a great charm about this track. I like how his vocals are soft throughout the song but he doesn’t give the song the kick it needs until he gets into the midst of the final chorus. This delay kick is quite interesting and you have to listen to the entire track to completely appreciate the peak of the song. The instrumental for this ballad doesn’t really do much besides giving the song its background that it needs. However, that electric guitar riff during the bridge was awesome. Ticking another box for good ballads (for me) is the fact the song gets you swaying along.

The one thing the video manages to capsulate very well is the concept of loneliness. The song is about feelings regarding a relationship that just isn’t working out. From what I am reading, long distance relationship is the main focus for the song, as Roy Kim (who tends to be in the States during his non-active periods) writes about his feelings in regards to his fans in South Korea (this piece of information was taken from Soompi). I think the video does a good job at it, with the final scene looking like he is making that final move to end the relationship. The colour palette is perfect for such a heartbreaking atmosphere. It is dry in terms of content but it seems when in context, the video makes a lot of sense.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

Two days ago, I reviewed Roy Kim’s main title track, Suddenly. I made a statement that I would review the other title track of Roy Kim’s latest comeback, Egoist, today. And here it is. For those who may have missed the review, Roy Kim made his solo comeback with his first mini album, which features two title tracks.

Roy Kim has always been known for his more acoustic sounds, such as his main past title tracks. So it came as a surprise when I first heard this song. Egoist delves into a more electronic instrumental, but still managing to maintain those acoustic vibes throughout the song. And the blend between the two is amazing. I personally think the tropical and more summery sounds that came out of this song was extremely fitting, for both the upcoming season and Roy Kim himself. I mentioned his voice in the past review and I have to mention them again here. Roy Kim sounds amazing in this song, as well! I love the chorus of the song, especially that line, which was at a higher pitch. I thought the buildup during the pre-chorus was really great as well, which built up from his already great verses to an even more amazing chorus. There is enough catchiness to the song that has me coming back for more. Overall, I thought the song was incredibly smooth and it is music that I would love to hear from Roy Kim in the future.

Matching that tropical and summer sound, we have a more colourful video for the song. It is also a nice contrast to the more dulled music video that was released for Suddenly. In this video, we see Roy Kim being quirky in the video. Also in the video is an equally quirky girl, who follows Roy Kim around. She is helpful at times but probably creeps Roy Kim out just a bit. He soon starts falling for her, while they both share the odd and weird activities that Roy likes.  The video made me laugh and it spoke to me on a level that no other video has. I thought the circumstances of how they met were quite cute. I personally liked this video a lot and you all should check it out as well!

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

Roy Kim is back with his first mini album, Blooming Season. For those who don’t know who Roy Kim is, he is South Korean soloist who debuted back in 2013, with the chart-topping Bom Bom Bom (Spring Spring Spring). Before 2013, he was a contestant on Superstar K4 and ultimately won the competition that year. Since then, he has been releasing songs here and there, such as Home and Love Love Love. His last comeback was in 2015 with The Great Dipper.

If there was one thing that captivated me in all of the songs that I have listed above, it would have to be Roy Kim’s voice. And it is the one thing that people look forward to when they hear a Roy Kim song. His deep yet mellow voice is definitely unique and stands out in the crowd. His deep voice literally sucked me into this song and has me going back to it over and over again. The emotions that he carries in his voice are subtle but they make sure they are heard. Suddenly is a Spring-time ballad that has a very nice melody. It’s another song that makes you sway along to it. The instrumental is incredibly simple. No instrument overpowers another. From the finger clicks to the trumpet (or saxophone) at the end, everything felt just right in this song. I actually love the instrumental section at the end of the song. I am never a fan of songs that fade out at the end, but here it is very fitting for the song. If you can’t tell by now, I totally like this song. And if you are waiting for more Roy Kim reviews, I will be doing a review for Egoist, which will be published on Friday (and my praise here is nothing compared to that review, trust me).

The music video isn’t as captivating as the song. But I will gladly glue my eyes to the screen playing the music video for the song. I thought the video showed Roy Kim daily morning routine. But instead, it shows him packing up, leaving the house and going away (he ended up throwing the keys away). He sings about moving on from a past relationship and the video seems to show him moving on from the memories that he had in that house. While I wasn’t into the video, the idea of the video and its storyline fits the lyrics very nicely. For a while, it felt cold and empty, but that was what was trying to be conveyed through the video. Reflecting on what I wrote, it probably is an amazing video if I wasn’t so narrow-minded. The video just felt dull and (like I said at the start) captivating.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10