PENIEL
PENIEL, member of the group BTOB, is back with an even deeper sensitivity and vibe.
PENIEL revealed on May 22 at 6 PM KST, through various online music sites, the track of his digital single “IDKI” as well as the music video for the title song of the same name.
This is a return as a solo artist for PENIEL, who has just successfully concluded the full-group activities for the new title “We together” (우리 다시) last March to celebrate the 14th anniversary of BTOB‘s debut. In addition, his special participation in the role of Junho within season 3 of the Netflix series “XO, Kitty”, revealed last April 2, once again engraved his presence as a versatile global creator with viewers worldwide, while intensifying the anticipation around his solo comeback.
Amidst many expectations, PENIEL‘s new work as a solo artist fuses an emotional melody and a vintage sound on a warm seasonal vibe, maximizing the charm of easy-listening music that one enjoys savoring lightly but returns to endlessly. The album includes two tracks with contrasting atmospheres, allowing a glimpse into PENIEL‘s wide musical spectrum.
The title song, “IDKI”, unfolds around an R&B guitar sound and PENIEL‘s clean voice. As the title “I Don’t Know If” suggests, the track delicately depicts the inner turmoil of feeling that each other’s feelings are no longer the same, without managing to break off the relationship easily.
In particular, PENIEL directly participated in writing the lyrics, adding sincerity. Monologues at the heart of the lyrics such as “I don’t know if you still got my back” or “Something’s wrong with you” intuitively show a skepticism toward the relationship, before frankly unfolding the moment when one senses the breakup, telling oneself “Now is the timing”. Rather than forcing emotions to burst, his melodic rap spat in a calm and restrained tone doubles the lonely sensitivity of a late night.
The simultaneously revealed music video perfectly visualized the lo-fi mood of the track. Objects such as a sports car driving on a deserted highway, a sky that gradually darkens, and finally a heart-shaped traffic light that cracks when the lights go out, sensationally represent the wandering and the breakup of the narrator heading toward separation.
The secondary song, “VHS”, is a retro-pop track that reinterprets the New Jack Swing sound of the 90s with a modern touch. Over a swinging rhythm and a funky drum beat, PENIEL navigates freely between singing and rapping, releasing a light energy quite different from that of the title song. The insertion of analog keywords like “VHS” or “Saturday Night” stimulates a cottony excitement and nostalgia, as if rewinding an old video cassette.
From “IDKI” to fill the sensitivity of late nights to “VHS” which calls for a pleasant nostalgia, PENIEL‘s new work to enrich the spring of listeners can be enjoyed on various online music sites.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS BTOB COMPANY
