Energy isn’t all the time present in muscle mass or brute power. In truth, probably the most highly effective exhibits of power usually comes within the type of quiet resilience that lingers beneath the floor of one thing extra light. It’s like a secret weapon, hid behind a comfortable exterior. Jini, the previous NMIXX member now going it alone, embodies this distinction via her solo debut album, ‘An Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove’, exploring the fragile stability between vulnerability and resolve through an mockingly not-so-balanced foray into electro-pop and future bass.
‘C’mon’, the mini-album’s lead single, is a strikingly formidable re-introduction to the artist. Beforehand relegated to rap verses and brief hooks, re-emerging as a solo artist provides Jini a well-deserved alternative to showcase the sheer vary of her vocal skill – which she absolutely and impressively utilises on the electro-pop monitor, proving her inventive versatility early on. The track is current within the EP in each English and Korean kinds, and whereas some Ok-pop stars might sound awkward on tracks not of their native language, Jini’s method feels refreshingly natural and sleek.
The one notably options rapper Aminé, who provides an additional layer of nuance via a mild, gradual tempo verse that mixes with the remainder of the track, whereas letting Jini stay in management, by no means threatening to overshadow her. The recurring theme of underlying grit – a strong bassline, chants of “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” all through the track – runs like an unsuspecting undercurrent, wrapped up in masterful, elegant lyricism and Jini’s balmy vocal layers.
‘Dancing With The Satan’ is one other piece of electro-pop excellence that dabbles in deeper bass and much more vocal selection from Jini. There’s a relentless, thumping rhythm to the track that’s laborious to shake off, characterised by sharp, syncopated synths that propel the track ahead. When Jini opens the monitor in a decrease register, she lends it extra texture and creates an environment that feels heat, inviting and intimate. Its manufacturing is minimal in comparison with the remainder of the EP, however much less is really extra on this situation. The one gripe available with ‘Dancing With The Satan’ is its criminally brief runtime of two minutes and 46 seconds, which involves a head in an abrupt ending.
The remaining B-sides – ‘Unhealthy Repute’ and ‘Right here We Go Once more’ – are the place the cracks start to point out. The previous – regardless of being produced by British singer-songwriter MNEK and co-written by Jini herself – has a evident lack of depth. The track is perhaps objectively good, however, in lower than two minutes, it falls into predictable, formulaic traps. Its lyrics about “loving too little or somewhat an excessive amount of”, construction and shiny manufacturing make it really feel extra like radio fodder aimed solely at business success fairly than one thing heartfelt.
On opener ‘Right here We Go Once more’, in the meantime, Jini as soon as once more flirts with a decrease vocal register, going even decrease than earlier than. She incites a level of mystique and attract, however with how strained her voice begins to sound because it drops deeper, the track struggles to resonate. That being mentioned, the refrain is a surprisingly enjoyable callback to early 2010s pop with its mixture of each digital and acoustic parts. When Jini sings the repetitive hook, “Like rattling, right here we go once more, this story by no means ends,” although, she brings a fast-paced and – at instances – uneven undulation in pitch that detracts from the enjoyable of the track.
As her first official venture as a soloist, it’s clear Jini has what it takes to rise as a outstanding determine within the scene; she might even have the potential to achieve a profession akin to the likes of Chung Ha and Sunmi. However as a newcomer – after years of arduous coaching as a part of a collective act fairly than a solo one – she has loads of development and introspection forward of her earlier than she’ll be capable of attain these heights. ‘An Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove’ exhibits unbelievable quantities of potential in each her private skill as a performer and her inventive course, however one can solely hope she continues to evolve even additional.
Particulars
- Launch date: October 11, 2023
- File label: ATOC
