I’ve had a rough journey with Jinhyuk’s solo music. I try not to be overly negative, but so far very little of it has been to my personal taste. And, the title of his new song “Crack” doesn’t engender a sense of optimism. Might this finally be the Jinhyuk song that wins me over? Or, will this simply be another copy-and-paste review?
At the outset of Crack, things sound promising. I like the bass-driven groove and crunchy guitar. It’s a bit Woodz-esque, and Jinhyuk’s gritty vocal matches the energy and tension. Guitar becomes even more prominent during the chorus, injecting the track with a bluesy sound that works well. But, I’m not sure the actual song lives up to the potential of this sound palette. Jinhyuk’s sing-talk verses are enjoyable, though they don’t leave much of a lasting mark. And in theory, the chorus makes for a galvanizing centerpiece. But, I just can’t handle the “I got that crack, crack, crack” refrain. For English-speakers, there are too many weird connotations no matter what definition of the word you go with. It’s distracting.
Of course, this isn’t really fair to the song itself, and when I filter out the awkward lyrical content I’m left with a better-than-average Jinhyuk track that merges his strengths with fun, evocative production. To its credit, Crack maintains its intensity all the way through without ever feeling overbearing. That can be a hard balance to pull off.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Before this was released, I also used to think that Jinhyuk’s solo career existence has got no sense, as all the songs were generic, throwaway and underwhelming. Luckily, this one is definitely a step up, but that “I’ve got that crack, crack, crack” chorus sounded somewhat….cringe to me, as a fluent English speaker. In fact, I was close to bursting out laughing at that moment. The concept is 100% my shit, but the song itself sounds too much like a Woodz’s “Feel Like” copycat, tbh. Rating is about right.
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P.s. I’m also waiting for Top Media to bless Kim Wooseok with something more than bland, forgettable material like Red Moon, Sugar and Switch…(although I find the “it’s not fair, it’s a love affair” part (and the only one!) in the latter to be kinda catchy)
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Oh you’re right! It does sound like ‘Feel Like’ imitation. The structure is so similar. Mellow-ish intro followed by dramatic dun dun beats before leading into the guitar chorus.
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The song is a little plodding and sounds much better at 1.1x or 1.15x speed.
Lyrics are problem #2. I got that problem, I just don’t know what to do.
Crack crack crack on me … ?
Problem #3 for me – the instrumental to me sounds like Seventeen “Clap”, which I would rather go listen to right now.
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Good call! I swapped it to 1.25x speed and it instantly became more palatable. Not enough to cancel out those lyrics, but… progress?
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I’ve been a huge Jinhyuk fan since his debut in 2015, and I have to say… This song is not for him and I need him to start picking songs that suit his voice more. I don’t think “I got that crack crack crack” sounds well delivered at all, he just doesn’t have the vocal chops to make a song like this sound decent. IDK if anyone could make this song sound decent though tbh
The verses were perfectly enjoyable, but I knew when the teaser was released that the chorus was gonna be messy. And I was right! I know Nick hated Bedlam and didn’t care for Work Work, but IMO thats where Jinhyuk shines. It’s frustrating because I believe in his abilities as a performer! I watched every single stage of both of those songs. But with an average song like Crack? I saw the showcase and he couldn’t make me like the whole package more.
I’m sure it doesn’t feel good to hear as a person trying to solidify himself as a solo artist, but I genuinely think Jinhyuk fits better in a group. Like if Crack was an UP10TION or X1 song, I would find the chorus cringy but listenable because a great singer would do that part. And to Jinhyuk’s credit, he has taken the initiative to improve his singing recently. But he’s always been more of a rapper and a dancer, and unfortunately I really don’t think he had the range to make this song work. It needed a new chorus too, but that’s not his fault lol
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The song isn’t bad but I feel like his voice just doesn’t suit the songs well. Maybe it’s just the tone or range he’s using for the majority of the song but I don’t like it. I would rate it low 7s. It’s an underwhelming song that I wish had more punch to it.
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maybe if there were some harmonies in the background during the verses, it would sound less plodding and maybe more smooth?
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