Seventeen’s Hoshi may be away from the industry serving his mandatory military enlistment, but that doesn’t stop music from being released. New single Baby, Honey (아기자기) surprise drops on a Saturday, which is quite unusual for K-pop. Maybe more plugged-in Hoshi fans than I can explain if there’s specific significance to the date March 14th. Otherwise, this feels quite random.

As a reminder that Hoshi still exists during his hiatus, Baby, Honey is… just that. It very much feels like a placeholder — the kind of innocuous fan service that often comes along with unpromoted releases. Its existence alone will likely draw smiles from supporters, but even they might struggle to find much more to grab onto. Baby, Honey places delicate, airy melodies over a plonky beat, repeats its chorus a few times and calls it a day. Calling it “slight” would actually be an understatement. Hoshi is as amiable a presence as ever, but I much prefer seeing him as the fierce, charismatic performer than the sappy loverboy.

Grade: C-