Yoon Jisung has made a quick turnaround with his second release after the disbandment of Wanna One. Because of his age, Jisung must begin serving his mandatory military conscription next month, which doesn’t leave much time to develop a solo career. It was definitely smart to strike while the iron is hot. I just wish he stretched himself beyond the kind of ballads most would expect from him.

To listen to the members of Wanna One on their own, you might think that all the guys are capable of is drowsy mid-tempos. I get that these kind of songs are probably easier to prepare for on short notice, but it’s hard to believe that all of these superstars-to-be actually want to launch their careers with such boring material. Where is the ambition? I’ll Be There (너의 페이지) is essentially In The Rain part two, though it manages to be even less interesting.

Jisung has a fine voice for ballads, but I’ll Be There’s gentle guitar strum doesn’t give him much to do. The song is insipidly pleasant, as if it’s terrified of painting outside the lines. The verses blend into the chorus with little change in intensity or structure, relying on Jisung’s amiable tone to get them across the finish line. There’s a lot of layering going on in the arrangement, which gives the track a wispiness that suits the season. It doesn’t suit me, though. I can’t imagine listening to this as anything but background music.

~