[#46] JYJ - "So So"

From: "Just Us"
Released: July
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Entries: 2010: [#1] "Long Way", [#44] "Be My Girl" / 2011: [#20] "Boy's Letter", 11 Albums You Had To Hear in 2011
Other notable song(s) from 2014: "Letting Go", "Dad, You There?", "Let Me See", "BABOBOY"

I say it constantly and I'll say it again -- I'm a DBSK and JYJ fan primarily because of the undeniable talent the five of them possess. Because what could have been a competition between five strong singers became chemistry that made them legendary. Talent will take you places, and DBSK is proof of that. DBSK and JYJ's identities are their abilities, which allows them to experiment all they want with their material. JYJ made "Just Us." If anyone else had gotten the same material, the album would have been a total train wreck.

"So So" is one of those songs that would've just been passable without JYJ. Composition-wise it's a solid track -- standard structure, cohesive arrangement that has its moments of glory, the usual. The explosions are ridiculously graceful, like the song just glides and soars from one part to another -- but you know it was a creative decision rather than laziness. The choice of instruments is also very ordinary (without the negative connotations) with the strings, the gentle, crisp piano line in the background, and the drum line in the background. Top it off with strong production relative to JYJ's releases, and you have a song with promise.

What brings the whole song further is first, the melody -- it mirrors the grace of the transitions and pulls everything together. It's effortless to listen to. And of course, JYJ's masterful vocals. The character of Yoochun's timbre, the warmth of his first verse sets the trajectory of the rest of the song. Junsu's warm but more urgent, emotional bridge creates a sense of urgency and hints at a big transition which comes in the form of Jaejoong's ridiculously smooth vocals that almost melt into the rest of the soaring instrumental. The throwing around of all these textures, each of JYJ's cohesively unique vocals taken advantage of fully, is what turns "So So" into a song worth listening to.



0 comments:

Post a Comment

Want to share any of your thoughts on the above post? Drop a comment here! I read all comments and reply occasionally, especially if you have specific questions for me. :D

Note that comments are moderated. Spam, self-advertising (K-Pop-related and otherwise) and overly vulgar submissions will NOT be accepted. If you want me to promote/endorse/follow/link to your site, please e-mail me at popreviewsnow@gmail.com instead.

 

Recent Tweets

Like Pop Reviews Now on Facebook!

Statistics (Since May 2009)

Music - Top Blogs Philippines Follow on Bloglovin

Blog Archive

You're reading an award-winning blog

The K-Pop Writers' Workshop


A workshop for writers of critical pieces on Korean entertainment -- formal reviews, expository essays/Op-eds, and personal essays/Creative Non-Fiction.
Learn from the best in K-Ent writing