2021 continues to be the year of GOT7 solos. I’m surprised how quickly they’ve rolled these out, with four of the seven members releasing new music within the last six months. Main vocal Youngjae has released solo work before, but Colors From Ars is his first mini album and represents his official debut as a soloist. When I think of main vocals of idol groups, my mind immediately goes to ballads. This makes the upbeat Vibin a fun surprise.
The year has been flush with upbeat, groovy tracks. As its title suggests, Vibin fits right in with the pack. But, it also stands out thanks to its glossy pop sheen and sly earworm of a chorus. Right from the start, the instrumental’s chunky bass delivers a sense of fullness that drives the track forward. The production is straightforward but effective. Stabs of guitar add punch to the chorus, accentuating the groove and texture. Rhythm guitar offers a sprightlier guide for the second verse, maintaining a freshness that makes Vibin buoyant and fun.
When it comes to GOT7, I never paid all that much attention to Youngjae. I always considered him a solid but unspectacular vocalist – overshadowed by bigger personalities in his group. But free to stretch his skills, Youngjae makes for an engaging soloist. His performance is loose and uncluttered, and I love his airy tone during the chorus. It helps that Vibin’s melody is as light as a feather, lifting in all the right places and always quick on its feet. This would have made a wonderful addition to K-pop’s summer slate.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Out of all the songs to be released after GOT7’s departure from JYP, Youngjae’s “Vibin” is my favourite by quite a bit.
I got a soft spot for him as not only is he my bias (I think his voice should get more attention within the group) but also I prefer the songs he has taken part in composer more than the other members. I’m glad he gets to showcase his skills as a vocalist and composer a lot more in such a buoyant manner as, I would have to agree, he does get overshadowed by his fellow members who have bigger personalities…
“Vibin” felt like a bigger leap in energy then GOT7’s “Breath”, a bside composed by Youngjae, which unfortunately I have not gone out of my way to listen to the latter much.
I’m excited to see where he goes from here on out!
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really happy you liked this one – youngjae has my favorite album from the sevens this year by far (note: however, jinyoung’s dive [which i know you probably didn’t review since it wasn’t an official debut, but i was looking forward to your review!] is definitely my favorite single – bias aside, it’s a great summer song). i’ve always liked his voice and compositions for got7, and appreciate that he has a range of interests career wise and music wise. this album is quite sweet and light in its steps – something similar to 2pm junho’s work and maybe even taichi mukai’s groovier pieces – with the standouts being tasty, vibin, roses, and the slower closer lonely. overall a strong piece of work and greatly anticipating his brightening future!
on another sentimental note, it’s great to see my ult group be able to release songs despite being apart / promising music a couple years down the road (with an jjp verse 3 supposedly rumored. fingers crossed!) and root each other on. it’s been a hard year or two, and i can only be optimistic for them doing better and better!
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Nice! I’ ve always really liked Youngjae and a more upbeat number definitely suits his…vibe. I’m vibin’ to it.
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Yeah, i’m definitely vibin’ to this. Probably the best post got7 title tracks if i took away jackson’s (who kinda have the faster start in building up solo discography)
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