Red Velvet’s Wendy made her solo debut four years ago and most of her work has been some form of ballad (Wish You Hell notwithstanding). I’ve always been a proponent of big-voiced pop stars using that big voice over fast-paced, energetic material. There’s nothing better than power notes anchoring a banging dance track, and I’d kill for a full album of Wendy doing 90s house music or something equally as exciting. New single Sunkiss and its accompanying mini album promises more upbeat sounds, but on Wendy’s own terms.
Sunkiss is chugging and anthemic in a vaguely mega-church way, buoyed by guitar and sing-and-sway melodies that take advantage of Wendy’s vocal range. It might be a bit more vanilla than I’d like, but the song is successful in its aim. To me, it sounds like something Taeyeon might have released during her first years as a solo artist. That’s not a bad template for any K-pop idol to follow and Wendy certainly has the chops to pull it off.
In a climate where K-pop is becoming more “easy-listening” than ever, this is a style of adult contemporary music that has a little more pep in its step and for that alone I’m grateful. The arrangement delivers drama, from stabbing percussion to slowly building synth. The final product ends up being a bit toothless, but it’s a pleasant enough singalong and I’ll take that over more posturing sing-talk any day.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
