2021 Highlight Review: Jackson Wang - LMLY

Jackson Wang's career has taken some crazy turns and twists over the past two years. Primarily a rapper in his boy band GOT7, Jackson became more of a vocalist for his solo career with the fantastic 100 Ways. After that, his solo career has shot into superior quality, with gem after gem. At the same time, he has been highly involved with his releases, and clearly has an eye for visual quality, as all his releases have been assisted by highly detailed music videos.

At the same time, his group GOT7 is now on hiatus, while his career has grown. Unfortunately, he has gained controversy for his support of the Xinjiang camps, a divisive and dark move indeed. However, his music peaked at this time with the quintessentially fantastic LMLY. Love him or hate him, there is little to no denying that LMLY is one of the year's most strongly crafted tracks.

From the nostalgic 90s Hong Kong movie aesthetic to the straightforward yet nostalgic newtro synths, LMLY is a song driven by nostalgia. Jackson's gruff vocal timbre works exceptionally well over the soft instrumental, with a frictional contrast causing a sense of momentum of the song, with both forces pushing and pulling in the forward direction.

This assists a strong and competent melody. As Jackson slowly grapples with a falling relationship, declaring "Baby there is no drug quite denial", the melody twists into a straightforward arrangement. There is indeed something satisfying in how LMLY smoothly does everything expected of it. Chugging verses, a building pre-chorus, and a plateaued chorus, all perfectly showcase the world of LMLY's break-up.

Quirky synths and pounding 80s drums provide strong assists and just enough variety for the song to pull away from the expected notes. Join this with the fantastic music video (where not a single shot is wasted), makes LMLY one of the year's best songs, plucking together for a nostalgic and dreamy ride.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: ABS-CBN