BTOB’s Yook Sungjae makes his long-awaited return with the EXHIBITION: Look Closely solo album.
Singer Yook Sungjae of the supergroup BTOB has finally returned with his first single album, EXHIBITION: Look Closely, marking his first solo comeback since 2020. The album also serves as Sungjae’s debut release under new management.
The album cover alone already teases the depth of the story to be told, using pictures that match well with the title, EXHIBITION: Look Closely. This alone shows how much thought and effort was put into the creation of the album.
Additionally, true to being a multi-talented artist, Yook Sungjae contributed to the making of his new album. For the first two tracks, he is credited with the lyrics.
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A Look at Three Pieces
1. Be Somebody
The album’s title track, “Be Somebody” is a song where Sungjae boldly shares his vulnerability. The way he delivers each note with his melodic yet powerful vocals evoke raw emotions.
“Be Somebody” perfectly encapsulates Yook Sungjae’s story as an artist with twelve years of experience, as well as someone who’s about to leave his twenties. He recognizes his past, but at the same time, looks ahead to the future with renewed passion.
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2. Without you
“Without you” is a pop-rock song reminiscent of early 2000 angsty music. From the instrumental to the lyrics, this track brings back the feels to its listeners. Adding the magic of Yook Sungjae’s vocals into the mix makes it the perfect mandatory upbeat track in an album.
3. The Ghost
Lastly, Yook Sungjae soulfully sings a ballad track in the signature BTOB style in “The Ghost”. His vocals, paired with the heartrending lyrics, are guaranteed to make one emotional, regardless of if they have personally felt the pain of longing.
To add the cherry on top, “The Ghost” is an all-English track, showcasing how Sungjae’s pronunciation has improved throughout the years.
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Within Four Walls… and Beyond
EXHIBITION: Look Closely may only have three tracks, but the story it tells feels like a hundred pages. It gives us a picture of Yook Sungjae, who’s ready to embark on a new path, whose past experiences have culminated him into the artist that he is today.
Perhaps if there is an unfortunate thing to say about EXHIBITION: Look Closely, it’s that its tracklist is too short. Given Sungjae’s talent, it would be a pleasure to listen to more heavenly vocals. Still, it is astounding how he’s able to show off that he can take on different genres through this album.
To wrap it up, EXHIBITION: Look Closely leaves everyone wanting for more. Today, we saw the artist that Yook Sungjae has become through his journey over the past decade. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to the masterpieces that he will bring us with the newer and better Yook Sungjae.
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Yook Sungjae is a South Korean singer, actor, and entertainer under iWill Media. He made his debut in 2012 as a vocalist and maknae in the boy group BTOB and its sub-unit, BTOB Blue.
He has lent his voice to OSTs of dramas he has played in, such as “Curious” with Seunghee for Plus Nine Boys, “Love Song” for Who Are You: School 2015, and “Love Resembles Memories” for Mystic Pop-up Bar.
EXHIBITION: Look Closely is his second album, succeeding Yook O’clock, which was released in 2020.
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Source: @YookSJ_official (X Account), Cosmopolitan Korea
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