NCT’s Yuta has taken his solo work as an opportunity to embrace a whole new persona. His Japanese discography rocks hard in a way that NCT was never designed for. This sits nicely within an industry that still wholeheartedly embraces rock music. New single Ember continues the sound, though it’s more likely to polarize than past singles.
While I enjoy rock music, I tend to like it best when mixed with other sonic elements and driven by strong melodies. There’s a style of crushing, aggressive rock that simply depresses me — the kind of stuff you used to hear all the time in Hot Topic stores. I get that this energy is completely intentional and appeals to its audience. It’s just not what I look to music for. With that said, even an ultra-emo, claustrophobic track can appeal if given the right hooks.
Sadly, Ember feels a bit hookless to me. The performance is quite affected and the melodic lines stretch without much variation in tune. Combined with the gritty instrumental, the song isn’t a pleasant listen. Again, “pleasant” isn’t really the point here, but I know Yuta can craft more engaging rock than this.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
