Lee Chanhyuk’s second solo album is only days away and promises to mine many classic sounds of the 80’s. Prior to its release, he’s shared new track Out Of My Mind (돌아버렸어). From what I can gauge from the highlight medley, its synth-heavy sound is emblematic of what we’ll be getting on the full project.
It’s been fascinating to see which direction Chanhyuk takes for his solo work. There are tinges of the 80’s in a couple AKMU songs, but that’s never been a driving force in their music. Out Of My Mind feels like an extension of the textures he was working with back in 2022, tethered to an airy song that acts as more of a vibe-setter than a highlight all on its own. Out Of My Mind is strikingly simple, essentially looping around the same melody over and over again. This will likely work better in the context of an album than on its own.
As for the production, Out Of My Mind is as close to synthwave as K-pop will get. It favors an insistent moodiness over noticeable peaks and valleys, making it ideal as a soundtrack. It’s not the style of 80’s music I tend to gravitate toward, but it sounds like there will be bigger moments on the album so I’m eager to see how this fits into the story.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Hello, will there be a buried treasure for TWICE new album?
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There either will or there won’t. You’ll have to wait lol
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Meanwhile, AKMU’s “How can I love the Heartbreak” is still on the Gaon circle chart, an astounding SIX YEARS after its release. Brother here wrote during his military naval enlistment while rocking on the ship, hence the album “Sailing”. As the story goes, they don’t allow any journals or such during active duty, so he would compose the songs on the album in his head. During his one allowed regular call to his sister, he would sing it while she recorded him the phone. Well, its another way to song camp!
This song here sounds all 1982. If you want to know what the early 80’s really sounded like, it is this.
I enjoyed his “1 Trillion” song from last year, with its deeply sardonic social commentary lyrics, but this song today is a pass.
As I expect this to be a slow thread, for the kids here I shall post “How can I love …” live, really live, stand at the mic and sing live. So sad! So much emotion. This song is #17 on my all time plays on my itunes.
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