Of all the BTS solo efforts, Jungkook’s music has connected most with me. Both Seven and 3D (minus Jack Harlow’s awful verse) have had unexpected staying power and I appreciate how they wear their influences on their sleeve. Both those songs hearkened back to early-2000’s sounds, but title track Standing Next To You mines earlier touchstones to even greater effect.
Rather than breezy and cool, Standing Next To You harnesses the show-stopping power that great K-pop (or in the case, pop) can and should strive for. There’s a whole lot of Michael Jackson inspiration here, though the song itself doesn’t always sound like it.
We open with a flourish of brass and guitar, setting the stage for a theatrical push and pull between restrained cool and bombastic centerpieces. The verses are dominated by falsetto, and that’s where the MJ influence is most notable. Jungkook sounds fantastic here, displaying a confidence that reaches through the speakers. I love how the iciness of the “standing next to you” refrain punctuates the funk backbone with a bit of atmosphere. And given today’s musical trends, it’s refreshing to hear sparse verses give way to a a more explosive chorus. This segment could be hookier, but the stabbing brass and dynamic drum fills are delivered with such aplomb. It’s hard not to get caught up in the drama of it all.
Like Seven, Standing Next To You is a co-write with Canadian producer Cirkut (of Ava Max fame, among many others). This collaboration may prove to be more important than any of the big-name rappers on Jungkook’s other singles. Standing Next To You is giving proper “event single” energy, and that’s a very pleasant surprise given the breezy material that preceded it. In fact, this whole project has been surprising in the best way.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 9 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Seven and 3d was bit better than this seriously no rhythm no meloidy at all and u gave 9 oh know how much u are biased
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LOL I love how I’m “biased” when I like something and “biased” when I don’t. On a site called “The Bias List.”
Maybe I’m just human with my own taste and preferences in music?
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girl, this is his blog. please be serious.
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Sorry if I am rude but I just wanted the way this website was giving honest reviews without adding bias option in it ,that way it will give reviews not choosing on favouritism based and it is about the rating which I thought it was not right
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Look, I disagree with Nick’s ratings like more than half the time, but idk what went through your mind when you typed/clicked on the url into the address of your browser and expected 😅. If you want an echoing chamber, I can direct you to the official BTS fancafe, discord, or reddit
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I’m so worried about people’s reading comprehension these days. This website is literally called The Bias List and bias is also one of the criteria for the scores given….like what did you expect ???? also people have their own tastes. just because it’s different from yours doesn’t automatically mean they have favoritism/bias.
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You can’t objectively review art/music. I mean, you could solely focus on technical elements and critique those in a somewhat objective way — especially if you are an expert in that specific field. But everything else? It’s all opinion. I don’t understand people who get upset over this.
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the only time I take offense is when someone says something is completely dull when the singer is belting their soul out. hehe
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Clearly you don’t know what rhythm is. I bet you have no idea what song this is sampled from
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Plis podpowiedz co to za sampl. Przesłuchałam dzisiaj tą piosenke i mam wrażenie ze t stary znany kawałek wiec coś mi dzwoni ale nie wiem gdzie
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the brass in the verses sound ripped from thriller
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Are you deaf?
Also, this blog is called The Bias List for a reason lol.
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I agree with everything you’ve said regarding the song. Out of the three singles he has released for his album, this is easily my most favorite.
On a side note, it’s really satisfying to see that November just started and we’re getting some 9+ rating tracks. Like first Golden Child and now Jungkook? I’m hoping that the rest of November stays this way and we get some last-minute candidates for your Top 50 tracks (although I’m sure it’s most likely not going to happen lol 😦 )
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This song is great man. I love every single bit of this. Give me that disco sound Jung Kook.
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the hooks are plain boring and the chorus has absolutely no rythm, the verses sounded way more interesting lol
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ig i like the flute type of instrument in the back during the hook
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wow jungkook jackson coming for us today 😳
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JK has a great voice no doubt about that, but for his solos, he sounded like justin bieber, like justin timberlake, like michael jackson. I want to hear JK and I hope he will have his own sound eventually.
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I enjoyed all three songs immensely.
However, I completely agree with your comments on hisnsound.
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anyway i just have to bring up this song i found on your twitter page and i agree, its utter tiktok crap
my god i fucking hate these songs that claim to have “positive, fun vibes” yet they’re tied to drunk-sounding performances and plodding instrumentals, like how am i supposed to have any fun when you’re not giving me any energy with the song, huh???
5.25 (F)
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Waiting for the inevitable flood of dislikes for this song. To me it shows JK had a sound in mind and he gave no shits about what anyone else might’ve thought about the music, he wanted to do it damn, so he did.
9/10 (chorus didn’t have the oomph, but loved everything else, so classy)
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Wow kinda enjoying this????? I suspected from the medley that I would, but because I have never connected much to Jungkook’s solos, neither Korean nor English, I wasn’t very hopeful. But it has happened. I am finally vibing to a Jungkook song.
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I thought Seven was gonna be a one off in songs I liked from BTS solos, but I was pleasantly surprised and whole heartedly approve of this sound. It’s classic
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I am kind of the opposite I think 😂 I always enjoy what BTS rapline brings to the table. V’s Layover left me “meh” on first listen even though his voice is my favourite color-wise in the group, but it sneaked on me? I have been listening to it a lot for some reason. It flows almost like a very long song, perfect background music for life, I play it almost every day when walking my dog in the morning now that it is cold. It is very cozy. So I guess I have to give it its kudos in the end 🤣
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A definite 9+. Those Steely Dan-like harmonies are a welcome addition.
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It leaves me wanting slightly more though – maybe a killer synth solo after the first chorus, in the long break before the next verse; and also some kind of bridge; and the song ends, when some kind of coda could’ve added that extra oomph. I feel like it’s a bit too safe. But that’s today’s songcraft for yah.
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I want to like it, I keep rooting for him, but it’s really hard to find something that appeals to me. I don’t think it’s catchy or memorable. I don’t care about the musical influence either (I’m actually annoyed that he keeps trying to use these “older” influences). Is it so hard to give us a current Kpop song that sounds like him and showcases his charms? 7/10
I liked the softer songs:
Hate You
Shot Glass of Tears
Too Sad to Dance (maybe)
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I have been following the BTS solo reviews and heard a few on random Spotify shuffles but didn’t actively listen to them much because I didn’t really think any of them were my vibes so far.
And like always I came to read your review and then the comments and half a minute later seeing the comments here I had a feeling I was gonna love this 😂 And I did!!!
This sounds really good and honestly I did not expect any of the solos to go this route : definitely had an old gen vibe and he carried it off in style. The music stayed true throughout too! ❤
And I feel BECAUSE it is this kinda genre a good amount of newer younger fans will dislike it or find it boring while a good amount of us older fans will absolutely love it 😂
Anyways whatever… it’s cool and me and my sibling liked it and agreed it fits him and he sounds good! ❤
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DAMN. I’m getting Odyssey, Heatwave, Bros Johnson, MJ with a little bit of prog funk in there. It’s already a favorite. Might be almost as good as Supertuna. Good job, kid.
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I hear Junior and Level 42 in there too.
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I’m hearing “blue-eyed soul” styling too. Its very 1982 83 smooth jazz radio to me.
As with Mick above, I wish there was more kick in it, more oomph, like a jazz flute solo or bigger horn section that just goes to town. But other than that, it is aight.
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A 9 for this garbage and my man Taemin getting 7s. What madness.
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ur not wrong lol
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It’s pretty rare in Kpop for anyone to meet expectations, especially with a debut, but I think JK has done it…the poor guy has been criticized up and down for not singing in Korean or making his own songs when all he has to do is give us good music, which in my opinion he did. For that I give him a 10/10. The album is not really my thing (some of the songs run together too much for me in sound) but I do like Yes or No.
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Definitely the best of the 3. I don’t get why people like Seven (except for the fact that it’s Jungkook singing it), I find 3D a little bit boring and the featuring artist sucks, but Standing Next to You is quite good, I can see myself listening to it a few times, and the MV looks great, too.
8.5
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I have been following you for a while now, and I always wondered why your take on music was a little bit iffy but I think it’s clear now that you favour a particular artist or genre. As someone who is suppose to provide honest reviews I find it difficult to trust whatever you write as it is a partial review, you give low rating to songs that are actually really good while giving high rating to songs that you personally prefer. Since this paged is biased and meant to cater for your personal taste, I say goodbye
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Goodbye!
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this aint an airport you dont need to announce ur departure
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welcome to the bias list 😘
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What I personally like the most about BTS’ solo productions is the peculiar character design Hybe has been able to fit to every single member of the group. And Jungkook’s album is yet another proof of how different, consistent and carefully crafted their individual concepts sound, which is absolutely something not to take for granted – especially nowadays (think back to what SM Entertainment has done with EXO or with that risible NCT Lab project, just to figure out the opposite scenario).
None of all 3 Jungkook’s singles actually makes me ring the bells, with Standing Next To You being maybe the most catchy yet the most anonymous of the lineup, but I do appreciate the effort in giving him a refreshing dj-clubbing-culture twist (including Seven’s bundle of remixes and b-sides like Closer To You and Please Don’t Change) and refusing that dear, old tradition that a good singer must play only soporific ballads to leverage his vocal skills.
Apart from any licit taste, to me it’s definitely another Hybe’s best practice in terms of management and artistic direction.
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I’m surprised I don’t mind this. It might emulate another artist again, but what I appreciate is the groovy instrumental and band break/outro. For those who don’t really like the state of Kpop right now, this is refreshing. If you’re going to do a minimal/almost non-existent chorus, then this is a nice way to do it. It’s dramatic, theatrical, and perfectly encompasses the theme of the song. The standing next to you hook immediately reminded me of an 80s song, not sure which, but it might just be Maneater with the “Oh, here she comes” hook.
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Hmm…. I always find it really interesting when I hate a song that everybody loves, but this song really does nothing for me. The verses sound good, but the pre-chorus and the chorus are a massive let-down with no proper melody or groove. The “deeper than the rain …” part sound particularly off to me.
I think I really have to accept that I don’t vibe with JK’s musical direction, but all of his previously released solos sound much better to me than this (“Too Much” in particular has grown on me).
He looks great in the mv though.
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Oh this is a pleasant surprise! I haven’t been paying attention to teasers etc. so I wasn’t expecting funk. I think this is the only Jungkook solo so far to connect with me (as resident funk lover 3000). I do feel the melody and verses play it a little too safe and it could be more hook-y; it feels more like a nice song to play in the background rather than a main course dish. Would rate closer to 8 probably.
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First bts song ive liked in literal years woah
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I like this song! My favorite song off the album though is “Please Don’t Change”.
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Easily the best of his singles – that post-chorus instrumental is sex
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I really liked it! i feel like a little bit of it was seriously ripped off from thriller and I would have like to see a little bit more jungkook HOWEVER when has michael jacksons influence ever been bad because this song is so jazzy and eventful. i especially appreciated his vocal runs it added a dynamic flavor
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Ok, let’s knock it off. The song is more of a tribute to Michael Jackson so the music definitely has that vibe. He is not Michael Jackson and has never claimed to be. That is your stupidity. To be clear, I love Jeon but no one, I mean no one will ever be like Michael Jackson, but Jeon has the right to experiment with different sounds and jandras. Finally, please do not insult Jeon by putting his name with Justin Timberlake and Justin beiber. They are complete trash.
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did you mean to reply to someone else’s comment?
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It’s just a bit too on the nose for me. It just feels closer to imitation than inspiration for me… like if I gave Michael Jackson impersonator a $10 for an original song, this is what I’d get back. It also doesn’t help that subjectively, the best take on Michael Jackson while still maintaining a clearcut individual artistic take was done pretty much to perfection with Taemin’s Danger. It might not be fair, but that’s what ends up being my basis of comparison for similar songs, and that instinctual reaction to compare it to one of my all time favorite K-Pop releases generally doesn’t do any of the abundance of other male MJ-lite K-Pop songs any favors in my book. I just end up going back to listen to Danger instead to scratch the itch and move on lol.
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Very 70s sounding – disco like someone said earlier and I’m enjoying it. I do agree with some that the chorus is lacking, like it needs more words or something. Too light, not sure how to describe it.
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I love the high drama arrangement! I’ve been wanting more big, star-powered tracks like this. It definitely owes a lot to Michael Jackson and such, but that’s not a bad thing, Jungkook does it very well.
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I absolutely love the instrumental but I find that his voice doesn’t cut through the instrumental for me. Maybe if it was a bit deeper but it almost sounded too strained at some parts and not as effortless as he usually does. Idk how to explain it but I found some of the notes uncomfortable to listen to. The instrumental is SOOOO good though. And whoever is doing the backing vocals during the standing next to you part sounds amazing. Idk if thats Jungkook or someone else but it sounds great.
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Great efforts, I’ve just reviewed song (Who Am I) by JD1.
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