NCT’s Jaehyun makes his return with his first solo album J and title song Smoke.
I’ve been enjoying Jaehyun’s personal style so much and was genuinely excited to see what his first album would bring us. Roses showed me a lot of potential, and his last year’s Horizon has been a constant presence on my playlist (why is that song so underrated?) so I’m sure we’re about to be in for an r&b treat for our ears. Jaehyun has a very distinctive style and very recognizable vocals so I feel like we will definitely get to see more of his personal artistry through this album. Let’s dive right in and review his first solo album J and the title Smoke. I’ve been Jaehyun-biased since NCT’s debut so I might be a bit biased towards him in general – what can I say?
Smoke is definitely r&b to the core and it suits his vocals so much. The song’s much more upbeat than I would’ve imagined and I’m glad for that – it manages to create and hold onto this very sensual but not too-laid-back energy until the end. I do have to say that the chorus caught me completely off-guard because I’m not sure I would’ve anticipated such a massive switch in melody straight away. It’s growing on me since I’m already on the third listen of Smoke as I’m writing this but I feel like something different could’ve been done here to make the song sound smoother both melodically and stylistically. However, I also have to say that I’m so obsessed with the last section of the song once the instruments get involved directly because it sounds so good! I wish the chorus actually included this instrumental because it would’ve just made the song sound even more catchy. The music video is a visual feast from start to finish and I’m totally loving this kind of style for him in every way. Smoke might take a bit longer to really grow on me because of that chorus but the album is holding some undoubted gems.
I was looking forward to hearing Completely the most because I knew it was going to hit my heart in ways no one has done before. The lyrics? The melody? The emotion? Jaehyun decided to give us the love song of the decade and I respect that. His vocals are just so stunning and the piano instrumental is perfect for this kind of track. Just gorgeous in every way! Aside from this dreamy track, we as a society need to admit that Can’t Get You is the true star of this album. I wish this was the title track because how can a song be so good? It’s laid-back, and melodic, with this specific type of energy that only Jaehyun can bring. The chorus is stunning and the instrumental is absolutely stealing the spotlight here. The backing vocals? Oh, I am so in love with this track. Even the official audio clip feels like a proper music video. What a track, what a production.
I’m so happy Jaehyun got his time to shine as a solo artist because he really deserves it and to see him do the style he enjoys himself is another layer on this chocolate cake. I’m going to overplay Can’t Get You and Completely until the end of time now, if you excuse me. We needed some r&b perfection and this man delivered that and more. Thank you Jaehyun.