It is a well-known fact that we owe Stray Kids‘ flawless discography to 3RACHA. However, in the past few years, more members have gotten into writing their own songs and adding their unique style to Stray Kids‘ music, and Hyunjin has blown us away with each of his songs. While he might be more known for his mindblowing stage presence and incredible dancing, Hyunjin has even more to offer when it comes to music and art. Each of his songs are absolute masterpieces, and here are some of our favorites!
‘ice.cream’
‘ice.cream’ was Hyunjin’s first SKZ-RECORD, and it remains one of his most memorable songs to this day. It’s a soft song that exemplifies some of Hyunjin’s best moments as a lyricist. He plays on the words “ice cream” to turn them into “I see ice as a cream” and represent his embrace of someone’s coldness, seeing and confusing coldness as warmth and love. The lyrics feel bittersweet as this song finds itself between a love song and a sad song. Its sweet melody makes it such a memorable and addictive song that his voice fits perfectly. ‘ice.cream‘ is unique in how Hyunjin approached such a topic. It’s simply a gorgeous song.
‘Contradicting’
Through his music, we’ve seen Hyunjin explore different genres, vibes, and influences. ‘Contradicting’ has a completely different vibe than the sweet, more lowkey energy of ‘ice.cream.’ Similarly to ‘Love Untold,’ his solo song in SKZ-REPLAY, ‘Contradicting’ has a pop-rock feel to it. In this song, he explores the difficulty of falling in love and the lingering feelings it leaves when wanting to let go. ‘Contradicting’ embodies heartbreak in its most angsty form through amazing lyrics and metaphors. We could never get tired of this song – it’s raw, real, and it hits hard.
‘Cover Me’
Out of ROCK-STAR, ‘Cover Me’ is special for many different reasons. First of all, this was the first non-unit song in a Korean release – because let’s not forget about ‘DLMLU‘ – that Hyunjin participated in the writing. The previous song he and Bang Chan had worked on together was ‘Red Lights.’ But ‘Cover Me’ has nothing to do with the vibes of that iconic b-side. ‘Cover Me’ conveys the feelings of loneliness and sadness in a genuinely heartbreaking, raw, and real way through a pop-rock ballad. The build-up to the last chorus is beautiful beyond words. And that last chorus… We literally ascend every time we listen to it. ‘Cover Me‘ will have to go down as one of Stray Kids’ most beautiful and hard-hitting songs ever. They did that.
‘untitled’
Hyunjin has tapped into different genres throughout his songs, and ‘untitled’ is his take on an indie-rock sound. Mixing that sound with I.N‘s voice was absolutely genius. ‘untitled’ has the perfect winter vibe with lyrics full of regret and melodies that still feel warm. ‘untitled’ explores the feeling of walking away after falling out of love. I.N expresses every emotion beautifully and Hyunjin’s soft verse blends incredibly well. It’s a perfect match.
‘long for you’
It’s clear now that Hyunjin knows a thing or two about making songs about yearning, pain, loneliness, and heartbreak. His lyrics always manage to break us into a million pieces. ‘long for you’ may be one of his latest releases, but it already has a place in our hearts. Inspired by the movie Closer (2004), Hyunjin wrote two songs: ‘long for you’ and ‘hey you.’ Both of them are gorgeous, but what makes this one even more special is that we get to hear his singing voice like we’ve never truly heard it before. And it is simply magical. ‘long for you’ could perfectly be an OST – he really nailed the energy and the vibe.
Hyunjin keeps exploring different genres through various topics and themes. Whether it’s for Stray Kids‘ releases or for solo songs, Hyunjin never lets us down. ‘long for you’ lingers in your heart and mind in such a beautiful way. And it’s proof that Hyunjin‘s artistry as a musician is only growing.
What’s your all-time favorite song written by Hyunjin? What’s your favorite lyric of his? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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