Recommended Tracks: Answer, Summer Blue, Promises
Artists You May Like: WOODZ, Troye Sivan, TEN
K-pop soloist WONHO is back with a 7-song EP titled CORE, an introspective project built around beautiful vocals, house-influenced melodies, and intoxicating beats.
Listeners’ first taste of the project was the charged track “Don’t Wake Me Up!” It’s an addictive and intense club banger that entrances you from the first note. WONHO wants to sink deeper into dream and delusion, away from “this wretched world” and reality itself. The track sets the stage for what will be a musical look into WONHO’s inner world.
WONHO kicks the record off with “Answer,” a groovy, house opener that instantly makes you want to get up and dance. There’s a jazziness and bounciness to the melody that makes it an instant hit. It may be the first track, but “Answer” is arguably the best.
WONHO’s vocals are especially suited to this song. His tone is silky smooth, and it just rolls off the melody like water. WONHO begs for clarity regarding his relationship, tired of being stuck in limbo. He’s over the “you up?” texts and the lack of communication, but he’s not willing to leave just yet. While WONHO looks for a way out of relationship limbo, “Answer” sends listeners into a much more welcomed, groovy version limbo by way of the melody.
“Summer Blue,” the fourth song, is an easy-listening track that embodies the season in its title. There’s a coastal energy to it backed by a sense of longing and nostalgia. The song is the message in the bottle washed onto shore years after it was released. The melody invites you to think back to that one summer when everything seemed perfect; WONHO looks back on a childhood summer romance, the memory of which has never left him. The melody and the lyrics alike paint the picture of an evening summer sky: the sun has set, the day is ending, but there’s something about that “Summer Blue” that’s worth holding onto.
The EP’s closer slows into a welcomed R&B twist. WONHO collaborates with singer-songwriter Brother Su on “Promises,” the artists’ take on a modern slow jam. Their vocals mesh beautifully. WONHO’s voice in particular is soft and tender, and his buttery smooth tone takes center stage once again.
Lyrically, the song is true to its title: “I’ll be there in your dreams” and “Always I’ll care” are some of the heartfelt words WONHO shares. He croons, “I won’t promise you the whole world, but I’ll promise to protect you, for you’re my whole world.” It’s a love song that feels as dedicated to a lover as it is to WONHO’s beloved supporters.
CORE takes listeners on an emotional, introspective ride from start to finish. WONHO has laid himself bare before the world and encouraged people to take a look inside his mind. He plays around with a variety of house and electronic music to offer a wide range of listening experiences, all while pouring his heart out into the lyrics. CORE is vulnerable, fluid, and a true reflection of WONHO’s artistry.
Stream CORE anywhere you listen to music.
KEEP UP WITH WONHO: Spotify // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube // X
