Regardless of many forces working in opposition to him, Kim Jaejoong has change into one in every of Okay-pop’s longest-running success tales. Along with his music profession, he hosts a enjoyable on-line present and continues to be a profitable actor. By way of all of it, his music hasn’t modified a lot. At coronary heart, he’s nonetheless a rocker.

Rock Star is aptly named, and sounds precisely the way you’d anticipate it to. In case you’ve been following his solo work since 2013’s Mine (nonetheless his greatest, for my part), this cathartic, shredding sound looks like a pure development. I usually discover these form of easy, guitar-driven songs a bit flat, missing the sonic variety that retains me coming again for extra. Nonetheless, Jaejoong’s voice is such a pressure of nature that it merely steamrolls over the instrumental. This pairs properly with the tune’s emotionally-charged vitality. It’s clearly aiming for “anthem” standing, however might do with a greater refrain to totally attain these heights.

Grade: C+