Jay Chang made a name for himself on this year’s Boys Planet. Though he didn’t become a member of ZEROBASEONE, he captured attention with his strong vocals and natural presence. Rockstar is one of two title tracks from his debut album, the second of which will be revealed later today.
It’s a little funny calling a New Jack Swing track “Rockstar,” but I’m not going to complain. This is a genre I’ll always love, and one that benefits from a strong, confident vocal. The groove gives Chang plenty of space to bend his voice around the beat, displaying a natural charisma that matches the energy of the track.
Amidst the 90’s percussion, we have touches of guitar that give Rockstar a sense of fullness and spontaneity. I especially love the ornamentation during the finale, though this element is quite present throughout. Rockstar‘s only drawback is its melody, which remains pretty one-note across both verses and chorus. The song could use a much stronger hook at its center, but the verve of the production and performance help compensate.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
he undoubtedly would’ve been great as a ZB1 member, but he’s just so much better in songs like this and Rush Hour. the songwriters did a great job at displaying his strengths here, and hopefully the same for I’ll Be There too (although I kinda trust the producer for that one because he’s the same guy who made Over Me, my 2nd most listened to song this year 🫢)
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I’m very curious to hear the English version of this (which will come out at noon KST) and to know whether this was written in English or Korean first. Jay is credited as one of the English lyricists but not as one of the Korean lyricists, so it may have been written in Korean first and then translated into English by Jay – but some of the awkward choppiness in the chorus might be a question of trying to fit Korean lyrics into a structure which might flow better in English.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this and it’s a great showcase for Jay’s (limitless?) charisma.
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the Korean lyrics were written first (same with I’ll Be There), the songwriters made this song with him in mind!
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I enjoyed this song! I’ve always loved his voice when he was a contestant on Boys Planet and I’m glad that he got a chance to showcase his talent through his debut.
It’s been a while since we had a New Jack Swing track, so this was so refreshing. And he sounds great!
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Great day for those of us who desperately miss rookie Verivery!
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Well, this boy has a handsome face if I’ve ever seen one, what a visual. With that face and this music, he can become a whole thing. I could do with some more oomph in the chorus both musically and vocally, but hat a promising beginning!
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This style definitely suits him! I wish the melody flowed better though, there’s something kinda choppy about it, like it doesn’t groove and mesh well.
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