Tremendous Junior’s Eunhyuk made his idol debut almost twenty years in the past. Throughout these many years, he’s been energetic in sub-units and even launched a pair solo tracks. Nevertheless, he’s by no means delivered a solo album. With the discharge of Explorer, he’s lastly taken the plunge. And like every artist ought to, he’s taken this chance to develop a sound that clearly means one thing to him.

The sound in query is early-90’s hip-hop — that candy spot between rap and new jack swing earlier than the style morphed and grew and took over the world. In Ok-pop phrases, it’s exhausting to hearken to Up N Down with out referencing first-gen artists like Hyun Jin-young. The track sits proper beside classics from the period like You In Imprecise Reminiscence, making it really feel like a tribute to Eunhyuk’s personal idols. This can be a nice match between track and artist, profiting from the various abilities Eunhyuk has honed over his years with Tremendous Junior.

That is additionally a style that tremendously appeals to me. The beat is brilliant and incessantly groovy, conserving the observe aloft by means of its upbeat spirit. And slightly than shout over the instrumental, Eunhyuk performs in a extra melodic type perched midway between singing and rapping. His voice turns into one other instrument within the manufacturing’s hyper-rhythmic arsenal, leading to a observe that clicks collectively in satisfying lockstep. It’s secure to say the very lengthy anticipate a solo Eunhyuk undertaking was price it.

Grade: B