Since going their separate ways for solo promotions, no SHINee member has been as musically prolific as Onew. This isn’t what I would have expected based on past history, but he’s been churning out material with great consistency. Next up is summer single Confidence, pre-released ahead of this third full album next month. As you might expect from the season, the track has a brighter aesthetic.
While summer used to be a time of bounding, energetic title tracks, I’ve noticed a cooldown over the past seven years. Groovier, downbeat fare has become just as popular as those great Duble Sidekick-esque bops of the past. I suppose this captures the duality of summer. As exciting as it can be, an endless string of summer days can also feel languid and drowsy. However, “languid and drowsy” is definitely not how I prefer my pop music.
Confidence casts its laidback vibe right at the start and never strays from that simple groove. This is not a song of peaks and valleys. It’s simply the sound of Onew’s voice gliding through a light bed of coffeehouse-ready muzak. Even when he moves into a surprising rap verse, it’s delivered in a cast-off, lackadaisical fashion that feels almost like improvisation. Fans of this style will be very pleased, but for me a song like Confidence wafts in one ear and out the other.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
