Despite over a decade of music to his name, this may be the first mention of Lee Seungyoon on this blog. I mainly focus on idol releases, but every once and awhile it’s nice to have a palette cleanser, and Seungyoon’s Brit-rock sound is just what the doctor ordered.

Waterfall (폭포) is the first title track from Seungyoon’s newest album and bucks many expectations we have for K-pop promotion. First off, it’s a whopping six minutes long, meaning you could fit about three NewJeans songs within its sprawling frame. It’s also a slow burn, devoting over a minute to its instrumental intro alone. This measured approach adds to the song’s power and makes Seungyoon’s first vocal quite striking.

From here, Seungyoon adopts many popular 90’s rock sounds, beefed up and brought into a new era. The song snowballs into something quite dramatic as more layers of vocal are thrown over the top. Symphonic elements add to the sense of grandeur, crafted several spine-tingling set pieces. This may be a bit off the beaten track for the typical K-pop listener, but I encourage a listen because I guarantee the song will sweep you up and ultimately knock you out.

Grade: B+