Review: Seulgi - 28 Reasons

Sorry for the break, I was intending to write a few days ago, but then... I got a cold. As a result, I had to take a few days off, and fell behind on the review schedule, sorry! Seulgi has now made her solo debut, and 28 Reasons is an intriguing and dark trap R&B song.

Opening with what is arguably the most hilarious and desperately strange line in recent K-Pop memory. However, the rest of the song conceptually holds together much better, skirting the line between good and evil conceptually. As a classic SMP R&B song, 28 Reasons gets to play around with various sonic textures. I love the booming bass, and how it creates a riveting undercurrent for the production and vocals.

Much like other SM tracks cut from the same cloth (NCT 127's Favorite), 28 Reasons' production is driven by three elements; electronics, strings, and whistles. Of course, 28 Reasons is considerably darker than its nearest alternatives. In fact, 28 Reasons garners its atmosphere from its minimalism. Each variation in the production comes in only occasionally, relying on its dark and simple groove to garner tension. As a result, every additional element in this melodic slow-burn stands out. Thankfully, the song knows to not mess around with its tempo, leading to a creeping feeling, best seen in the multi-refrain chorus.

I have been praising 28 Reasons so far, but I feel the song has one fault, one that truly derails it; Seulgi's performance. Her vocals are fine, and the filters give her a bit of personality. On the other hand, I can only imagine how stronger SM vocalists, such as Changmin of TVXQ, would tackle such a song. In such hands, 28 Reasons would be an instant classic. However, it does well enough on its own to be a highlight nonetheless.

Rating: 8.25/10

Purchase Seulgi's 28 Reasons album right here!

Image Source: The Bias List