After Chaeyeon took over all of our playlists with her first comeback, ‘Knock,’ last year, the expectations were high… And she met every single one of them with her newest release, ‘Don’t,’ and its mini-album, SHOWDOWN. Of course, we didn’t expect anything less from one of our absolute favorite all-rounders. Lee Chaeyeon’s SHOWDOWN is a serve everyone should be listening to right now!
‘Don’t’
‘Don’t’ is everything we love about Chaeyeon, yet it’s new and something she hasn’t done before. Her take on the Y2K trend is refreshing with this title track. On its own, the song is addictive, catchy, and a perfect listen. And looking more in-depth into its meaning makes it even better. ‘Don’t’ is an upbeat track, but it also has a bittersweet side to it as Chaeyeon sings about the struggles and inner battles of letting go of someone. As she sings both the lines ‘Please call me, Charlie’ and ‘Don’t call me, Charlie,’ Chaeyeon explained that Charlie represents the dark side of herself. In other words, ‘Don’t’ may be about a breakup, the disconnect between two people. But it can also be about trying to disconnect from the part of yourself that wants to go back to what isn’t good for you. ‘Don’t’ is not only a banger, but it hits all the right places when it comes to a breakup song.
And throughout this turmoil, of course, Chaeyeon absolutely served with this new choreography – choreographed by herself in collaboration with choreographer Rozalin. This new video not only has beautiful aesthetics, but it is also so incredibly satisfying to see her giving her all in the song and the choreography. It makes it hard to look away from her during the entire music video… So yes, she has done it again. ‘Don’t’ is all we can think about.
SHOWDOWN
‘Don’t’ on its own is something to get obsessed over, but Chaeyeon also gave her all in the b-sides for her third mini-album, SHOWDOWN. ‘Summer Heat’ was teased before the release and lived up to our expectations. This song could easily be a title track with its energy and singular sound. It’s the perfect summer song – powerful yet carefree. On top of that, the writing and composition credits count with Little Mix’s Perrie. That’s enough to know ‘Summer Heat’ is that b-side. But Chaeyeon keeps that summer vibe going with ‘Supernatural.’ This love song is a more vibey yet rhythmic track and the most catchy among the b-sides.
These two songs are full of energy, but that’s not everything Chaeyeon is about. She shows her more laid-back, soft side with the two closing tracks in SHOWDOWN. ‘Standing On My Own’ is a heartbreaking and bittersweet song about feeling hopeless and loveless. It’s her most vulnerable song in the mini-album, and an instant highlight to us with how the song mixes nostalgia and hopeful feelings. ‘Dreaming’ is a beautiful vulnerable ballad worthy of being in an OST where Chaeyeon gets to showcase her vocals better than ever. And, to no one’s shock, she sounds incredible. It’s a magical song made even more special by the gorgeous lyrics in which she participated herself, just like she did in the title track.
Chaeyeon continues to blow us away with every release. She keeps establishing herself more as a solo artist. And ‘Don’t’ proves Lee Chaeyeon‘s incredible hard work and talent. ‘Don’t’ and each song in SHOWDOWN are already on repeat for us. And you would be missing out on real music if they weren’t listening to it, too.
Are you as in love with ‘Don’t’ as we are? What’s your favorite b-side in Showdown? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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