The solo career of T-ara‘s Eunjung has, to this point, consisted of rather generic releases as ELSIE in Korea. In a surprising shift then, she has made her solo debut in Japan by taking up the rock mantle, releasing a decidedly more upbeat and aggressive “Desire“.
It’s rather difficult to find a Korean female solo comparison, so Dreamcatcher-lite will have to do. Eunjung actually effectively pulls the sound off, though I do think her voice is a bit light and gentle at times, and going forward hopefully she really just lays into the track emotionally and sells the shit out of it.
In the grand scheme of things, that’s more constructive criticism than complaint because the instrumental makes up for any shortcomings, beginning with a gentle piano and then kicking up the pace with the injection of a guitar riff. Things gradually build thanks to the drums really starting to hit, and the rapid-fire delivery that comes is where Eunjung does best, mostly because she seems least focused on technical singing and more on feel. Eventually it hits a next gear for the chorus, which has a catchy refrain, and the guitar riffs of the bridge really set things off for the closing.
“Desire” is infinitely better than anything she’s released solo before, and hopefully this is a launching point for completely embracing this sound, as it’s a unique niche for Eunjung and one that with a bit of refinement I think she could make work. As is, even with room for improvement, this concept shift definitely has been a welcome surprise and is already a step above what most girl group members choose for their solos.