Sam Fang
Woosung, the lead vocalist of the Korean indie-rock band The Rose, has released his second solo studio album, 4444. The new album pushes Woosung’s musical talents into brand new territory as he explores topics of rebirth, self-revelation, and finding clarity in a world that’s moving too fast. As Woosung navigates these mature topics, he experiments with his own sound and style on 4444, giving fans an album that offers a variety of different sounds while still coming together as an entirely cohesive experience.
Woosung is joined by New Vaticans for the album’s opening track, Paper Cuts, a slow, piano-driven track written and produced by Martin Garrix. “If you want a story, I’ll give you my heart and all of my glory, I’ll tell it all,” Woosung croons. Woosung’s unique vocal tone shines with this minimal production, and the rest of 4444 promises to provide similarly exciting and unexpected sonic explorations, with Woosung unafraid to experiment with different sounds throughout the album.
‘Before We Die’ shows Woosungs dedication to his craft; the track clocks in at nearly six minutes — a remarkable feat in today’s age of short songs designed for maximizing views on TikTok. Woosung is introspective here about hopes and dreams and overcoming self-doubt and negativity.
His vocal delivery and the track’s glittering dance production are reminiscent of some of Kerli‘s best work — there’s an ethereal beauty to the track and how it skillfully juxtaposes its dance-worthy beat with otherwise more ‘down’ lyrics about being called out, struggling in the dark, and remembering your own mortality. “Push it off, push it down, don’t you ever think that you can’t wear the crown,” Woosung reminds listeners. This will be the perfect track to hear live at a Woosung concert — encouraging you to live in the moment and live life to the fullest.
4444‘s first single, ‘Day That I Died’, released last month and sees Woosung more reflective than ever before as he deals with a crippling and haunting relationship. “I’ll be 89 with flowers growing out my eyes, waiting here for you,” he sings desperately, “Holding onto hope I’ll hold you in another life.” The song is haunting and emotional, and an absolute standout from the album. The song, written by Woosung with David Pramik and Sara Davis, boasts some of 4444‘s strongest lyrics that paint an entirely too vivid picture of love lost.
The album’s second single, ’44 (Forget Forever)’ was released to coincide with the release of 4444. The song’s music video highlights the song and album’s themes of rebirth and self-awakening. On the track, Woosung continues his reflections on life’s pain and losses. “If heaven and hell were to collide, would you choose darkness over light? Did you leave enough of you behind?” He asks, before reminding us that “forever” is just a word and not promised to anyone.
’44 (Forget Forever)’, like ‘Before We Die’ continues Woosung’s skillful exploration of dark and morbid topics with electronic productions, albeit with more restraint and caution than the album’s former track. Here, Woosung is more pensive as he looks back at a relationship lost, and his lyrics almost seem to be asking these questions to himself just as much as a former partner.
‘Never Let Go’ feels more like a straightforward pop track with its production, immediately building up the hype as the first chorus swells into a pounding chorus as Woosung sings about holding onto love and not letting it slip by. After the first half of 4444 featured plenty of experimentation, it’s nice to see Woosung put a new and evolved twist on more typical production with ‘Never Let Go’. The only problem with this track is that it’s a bit too brief — not even hitting the 2:30 mark.
4444‘s next track, ‘Found You’, feels like it would be right at home on Woosung’s stellar 2021 album, Genre. His voice is full of passion and remorse here as he navigates a relationship and his heart’s woes of trying to find a love that is true and magical. Like ‘Never Let Go’, ‘Found You’ is more mainstream with its production — but there’s a reason mainstream music is so popular. Woosung’s voice is beautiful with this type of mid-tempo ballad, and ‘Found You’ feels like it has truly nailed his formula for success.
Woosung is joined by Korean singer Kim Han-bin (B.I.) on ‘Happy Alone’, a track that is sure to make fans of both artists elated. The song feels like a jam session between two musicians enjoying their craft, with simple production and raw vocals. As the title suggests, the song is all about feeling happy on one’s own. B.I.’s inclusion on the track is an absolute knockout, with his more sugary sweet vocals surprisingly complementing Woosung’s deeper tone. B.I. also sings his lyrics in Korean, bringing with them the striking influences of the entire K-pop genre that is otherwise not so readily apparent in Woosung’s work.
Woosung draws 4444 to a close with another uplifting collaboration, this time with Korean musical duo BOL4. ‘Let There Be Light’ blends electronic music with Woosung’s signature alt-pop style, and his collaborators bring their own unique spin to the track for their verse. The harmony that Woosung and BOL4 share is also phenomenal, and Woosung expertly leads the track.
Overall, 4444 is an exploratory sophomore album from Woosung that feels fresh and exciting from start to finish. An artist that is still on the ascent, Woosung has not hit a sophomore slump by any means; if anything he’s hit a home run with his latest release that is sure to open his music up to new fans across a variety of different genres. Tracks like ‘Day That I Died’ and ‘Found You’ showcase Woosung’s beautiful vocals and lyrical prowess, while collaborations like ‘Paper Cuts’, ‘Happy Alone’ and ‘Let There Be Light’ all show Woosung’s dedication to his artistry and willingness to work with others in his field, allowing them to put their own stamp on his musical talents and showing that his voice is powerful and versatile enough to do just about anything he sets his mind to.
4444 is available now on all streaming platforms.
Source: Spotify
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