It’s time to say “farewell, for now” to NCT’s Doyoung. He enlisted yesterday, alongside fellow member Jungwoo. And like Jungwoo, he’s released a parting gift for fans in the form or a digital single. Unfortunately, he won’t be promoting this on music shows but Promise (늦은 말) still stands as a welcome balm for those mourning his absence.
Promise is exactly what you’d expect from a song developed to mark the start of a military enlistment hiatus. It’s a gentle ballad highlighting Doyoung’s love in a way that can easily be transposed onto fans. As usual, his voice sounds beautiful and the track delivers multiple vocal peaks throughout its pleading structure. Production is mostly restrained to piano and strings with slight hits of percussion to give the arrangement added heft.
This style of song doesn’t have a huge amount of purchase with me, even if I love the vocalist. Promise feels built for impressive live performances, which makes its arrival after enlistment a bit of a missed opportunity. As a song on a playlist, I’m rarely in the mood for something so restrained. But as a footnote to this stage of Doyoung’s career, Promise will please the very fans it’s designed for.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
