I’m following the reunion of Infinite with the eyes of a hawk. They’re my all-time favorite K-pop group, after all. It doesn’t seem that we’ll be getting any new music for the next few months, but I hold out hope the guys will make their looooong awaited comeback before the year’s end. Until then, leader Sung Kyu has returned with his newest solo album.
As big a fan as I am, I’ve struggled to connect with much of Sung Kyu’s solo work since he parted ways with longtime collaborator Kim Jongwan. I’d gladly listen to him sing anything, but the material just hasn’t been up to the level of past glories. Small Talk doesn’t quite reach those high highs either, but it’s a welcome shift toward more upbeat, funky sounds.
The song has a charming live band feel, as if we stumbled into a cool club to watch Sung Kyu perform — loose and unrehearsed. The groove has an organic quality, buoyed by enough layers of rhythm to stand out among its peers. So many “groovy” K-pop tracks take one sampled loop and never expand upon it. Small Talk‘s production is robust and warm, if a bit generic.
Melodically, Small Talk has a repetitive charm. The hooks are catchy but slight. I really wanted the track to embrace a few moments where it absolutely exploded to take advantage of Sung Kyu’s powerful vocals. But overall, this is a satisfying step forward that will likely age well with time.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Â Production | 8 |
| Â Longevity | 9 |
| Â Bias | 9 |
| Â RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I like this. Probably my favorite Sungkyu song since 60 Seconds. The groove is great, Sungkyu performs the hell out of it, and the guitars add some natural contrast, reminds me of Sewoon’s In The Dark in the best way possible. Hope it grows on you as I expect it to!
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I like this release, it’s an easy-listening track, and it’s okay
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So happy to get new music from him – I like it!
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The verses drag a bit.
Not that I’m advocating the kind of purely chrorus-driven songs that dominate the kpop landskapet, but I wish they had done a bit more with them.
Other than that an excellent song. Mid 8s for me.
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It’s a beautiful day in kpop world. Something for everyone. I’ll take this one easily. Bright and uncomplicated pop music well done and well sung. It is so nice to here an honest vocal again, wyhiwyg style.
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I actually like this! It’s not a terrific song — in particular the chorus doesn’t do enough to stand out — but it’s got a nice, relaxed vibe. I had a much harder time connecting with his Nell-esque work so this was a pleasant surprise.
(While I’m here, Nick, Ninety One’s new album comes out July 7th; what do we have to do to get it under consideration for July’s Global Pop round-up?)
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This is a really nice song, but it needed a better bridge/interlude and yeah the post-chorus doesn’t exactly reach the stratosphere. Nice song though, 8.5 sounds about right. His styling is really good too, looks like Y from Golden Child
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