B-Side Quest: Seohyun & Zion.T

Hope you guys are enjoying autumn so far, k-dreamers! I’ve been surviving off of butternut squash and pumpkin spice since school started up again. As a treat, I thought I would dive into some solo artists in this article. Today we have two EPs: “Don’t Say No” by Seohyun and “OO” by Zion.T.

Seohyun – Don’t Say No

Released: 2017
Standout Single: Don’t Say No (#14)
Seohyun has one of my favourite voices in SNSD. I have an unhealthy obsession with the title track. My girl was going off with her vocals. That being said, I had the same comment about most of the songs on this EP: “Great vocals, but a little repetitive.” I wonder how many times she said “Magic” in that one song. There’s this cardinal rule Seohyun’s songs break when it comes to kpop songs, which is to not make the first, second, and final chorus sound the same. As a result, the songs feel like they didn’t go anywhere. It’s a shame because I really like the songs in terms of instrumentation, like the guitar in “Lonely Love.” The most adventurous song on the album is “Love and Affection,” but I personally didn’t like how high-pitched the song is. So if you listen to this EP, don’t expect anything revolutionary.

Zion.T – OO

Released: 2017
Standout Single: The Song (#15)
Listening to “The Song” instantly puts a smile on my face. It’s so darn wholesome and funky. As for the rest of the EP, Zion.T delves into many different emotions, from cynical to sorrowful. My favourite b-side track has to be the opener, “Cinema.” I love the sound of bossa nova, so this was a no-brainer. I also thought his rendition of the “blue, green, red” section of the song was funny. The songs “Comedian” and “The Bad Guys” keep with this groovy sound, but I didn’t feel too strongly about the song “Sorry” with Beenzino. Maybe he said too many sorrys?

In terms of lyrics, “Complex” with G-Dragon and “Wishes (2015)” stood out to me. “Complex” talks about this “grass is always greener” mentality that celebrities get when it feels like they have too much of a good thing. I know that this is around the time Zion.T really blew up, so I get why he wrote this song. Meanwhile, “Wishes (2015)” is this melancholy song about wanting comfort even though you’re usually the one who comforts others. The audio of him whistling (and attempting to whistle) were a nice touch.