Review: Jaejoong - Nobody Like You

Jaejoong has not only enjoyed a successful career as part of TVXQ and JYJ, but a successful solo career as well. He was extremely influential through the early 2010s, with several hit rock records. Even now, he has a dedicated fandom, mostly based in Japan. As a result, it has been over six years since Jaejoong released an album in his native Korea. That all changes with Born Gene. And while the album certainly has its rock-oriented moments, the single Nobody Like You sees Jaejoong move to Europop.

I have mixed opinions on this. On one hand, I love some Eurovision-Esque drama. On the other hand, Jaejoong's voice has always been uniquely suited to rock, it fits him like a glove. To see him move to other musical styles feels almost disingenuous. I guess it has been a long time coming, but songs like the 2020 Japanese single Brava! Brava! Brava! found a balance between Jaejoong's more pop-oriented vision while still playing to the strength of his vocal timbre.

Ignoring my obvious conceptual gripes on Nobody Like You, Jaejoong still rides circles on the younger vocal competition. He has been a professional singer for nearly twenty years at this point, and he knows exactly how to use his voice. He does not just sing each note, he adds his own flavor and style, pushing around with the textures of his rare vocal skills.

Ignoring his vocal performance, Nobody Like You is still a fine pop song, even if it loses some of its unique edges. The adventurous Europop beat works pretty well, and the melody pushes and tugs along quite well. This is all fine and dandy, but I wonder how long Nobody Like You will last, especially when Jaejoong has such a strong and varied discography. Nonetheless, it is quite fun for the time being.

Rating: 8.25/10

Purchase Jaejoong's Nobody Like You and accompanying album Born Gene, right here!

Image Source: Allkpop