Infinite’s Kim Myungsoo – better known by his stage name L – is in a nebulous position. He hasn’t officially left Infinite, yet he’s no longer part of their agency Woollim Entertainment. I’m not sure how that works regarding any future reunion, but that point is moot for a while. His special single Memory (기억과 기억 사이) precedes military enlistment, which will put him off the entertainment map for well over a year.
I’ve always thought that Myungsoo was an underrated vocalist. It’s hard to elbow yourself into the spotlight with voices like Sungkyu and Woohyun deservedly front and center, yet he possesses a great texture and his live performances were always solid as a rock. Like many idol group members, his solo work tends to veer toward the coffee house. That’s my polite way of saying that I find most of it pretty boring. Memory is no different, though it’s imbued with a bit more heft thanks to the current stage of his career.
The song opens with a beautiful vocal flourish, promising plenty of amiable atmosphere to come. Gentle guitar backdrops a sentimental melody that sees Myungsoo charming with a restrained performance. The melody has a conversational quality throughout, adding a layer of intimacy to the track. Apart from added percussion, the chorus barely rises above the verses. That may not result in a very dynamic arrangement, but it works for a soft acoustic track like this and shines extra spotlight on the bridge. Memory is more of a whisper than an exclamation, but that suits Myungsoo just fine.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Just want to say, Myungsoo picked the worst possible stage name. It is over 10 years since Infinite debuted, but I still cannot get why he got such a sad stage name.
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You don’t like “L”? I love it! It reminds me of Death Note 🙂
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Well, I don’t watch anime or read manga, so know Death Note bells ringing for me.
I somewhat want to see an Alphabet of kpop stars debut, I think they are enough now.
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Haha you’re right. Well, if you ever feel compelled, I highly recommend the 2015 live-action series of Death Note. Kento Yamazaki makes for a very charismatic “L”!
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Hopefully someday!
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Oh? What’s so bad about it? Besides probably being the worst for search engine results-
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Exactly. That is one of my biggest issues. Great singer from a great group, but with a terrible stage name.
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Haha, this comment made me chuckle. I also love the name. I’m pretty sure he said in an interview that it was indeed inspired by Death Note, as mentioned above. Not sure if they really had that in mind or just made it up later but it did fit his initial aura of cool and mysterious and what not, as it had the actual L vibe. It’s difficult for engine searches but I always found it cool.
I also like N haha, I think it suits Hakyeon well for some reason, although both of them are going by their actual names now more which I totally support as they have memorable ones.
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have you kept up with infinite recently? he gathered with sunggyu for their tenth anniversary on vlive
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It’s actually nice to hear his voice spotlighted like this! I am definitely guilty of not paying attention to his singing because I’m so busy being swept away by Sungkyu and Woohyun >< This is not a track for me, but he sounds good on it. I hope it does well for him.
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He is really underrated as a vocalist, especially since he has a really cool, interesting voice. The song serves its purpose for sure, although he could definitely do much more musically (hopefully he will once he’s back from the military, who knows).
I wouldn’t mind him getting some larger singing portions if INFINITE comes back as 6 again, he was really great in their last one.
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Myungsoo voice is unique and amazing. This song is really beautiful for his vocal
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