A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
You spend over a decade waiting for something, and then it’s suddenly dropped in your hands when you least expect it.
Fans of Infinite (myself very much included) have been clamoring for a main vocal unit of Kim Sungkyu and Nam Woohyun ever since the group’s heyday. We’ve even pre-emptively given them a name: Infinite V. Soundtrack song Beautiful isn’t credited as such, but it will be credited that way in my heart (and on this blog). After all, one of The Bias List‘s first ever posts was a feature on their 2012 stage performance of trot classic 해뜰날. Some voices are a match made in heaven, and Sungkyu and Woohyun have that perfect blend of contrast and unity that makes music feel full and exciting.
We’ll see if we end up getting an official debut from Infinite V, and if we do I hope it sounds something like Beautiful. As I would have hoped, the song forgoes drippy balladry and matches their vocals to an equally powerful track. We’ve got a synth rock banger here, broad enough to match the needs of a drama OST but bolstered by the panache these performers bring to anything they touch. It has a classic Infinite touch — much more so than the group’s 2023 comeback, actually. If we can’t get Sweetune back behind the board, I’m happy we’re at least veering back toward this driving energy.
It’s too early to tell whether Beautiful will slot comfortably among Infinite’s many classics. It may be too slight to compete with the heavy hitters. But I guarantee it’ll become a staple on my own playlist. I live for the moment Sungkyu and Woohyun’s vocals blend during the song’s climactic power note. The nimble synth that follows is a nice bonus, injecting some funk to the rock energy that drives most of the track. When it comes time for the full group to make a comeback, I hope they borrow some of this intensity.
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
10
RATING
9