Stray Kids‘ Seungmin has a honey-like voice that simply can’t ever fail. Whether it’s adding that extra sweetness to Stray Kids songs or having his own take on other artists’ songs, you just know Seungmin and his voice will make every song sound its best. Through the years, he has given us several solo songs, OSTs, SKZ-Players and SKZ-Records, but last year, Seungmin started his most precious series to date: SONG by. The concept is simple: Seungmin covering songs with a live, more often than not, acoustic band. With ten episodes, SONG by. went through different phases, transitioning from a format where Seungmin presented each song to simply singing. However, every single episode was deeply personal, vulnerable, and featured some of the most beautiful vocals we’ve ever heard from Seungmin. If you don’t know where to start with this series, we got you! Here are the ones everyone know about.
Episode 01: ‘Love Poem’ (IU Cover)
‘Love poem’ is an extremely important song in Seungmin‘s journey as a vocalist. One of the most memorable performances he has ever given us is the unit vocal performance during Mnet’s Kingdom: Legendary War alongside BTOB‘s Eunkwang and ATEEZ‘s Jongho. We continue to think about this performance even four years later, and not only every single second of it blew us away, but it marked a before and after in the way Seungmin approached his voice, and how he pushed himself forward. It was a historic moment for our books, yet Seungmin never stopped growing from there.
Making ‘Love poem’ the first cover of the series was a perfect full-circle moment, where he was able to take on the song on his own, four years later, with even more power, sweetness, and a voice that hasn’t stopped evolving, showing just how much he has evolved as a vocalist and an artist. And, you guess it, Seungmin still delivers one of the most beautiful renditions of ‘Love poem.’
Episode 02: ‘High And Dry’ (Radiohead Cover)
The second episode of the series was simply a dream come true. This type of music is not something Seungmin hasn’t been able to tackle too often, but we knew he would do it beautifully. Despite appearing to be a simple song, ‘High and Dry’ is technically and emotionally a highly complex song to sing. To capture the load of emotions Thom Yorke projects in every single note of the original version, creating a powerful and unreplicable build-up, is something that not many have accomplished. And yet, Seungmin‘s take on the song is simply unforgettable.
‘High and Dry’ is one of those songs that explain why this series exists and is so precious. It allows Seungmin to push his vocals further and explore his voice in a way he has never before, and he delivers. Seungmin‘s take on ‘High and Dry’ is one of the SONG by. episodes that will have you coming back, over and over again.
Episode 05: ‘Steal The Show’ (Lauv Cover) + ‘Stars And Raindrops’
In honor of his birthday in 2024, Seungmin released an extra special episode where he sang not one, but two songs. He opened the episode by giving us an outstanding cover of Lauv‘s ‘Steal The Show,’ capturing all the emotion, the warmth, and messaging of the song.
But what felt even more special was the first performance of his solo song: ‘Stars and Raindrops.’ Before the release of this song, Seungmin had already released solo OSTs, but ‘Stars and Raindrops’ was the first of his songs that he wrote himself. And it changed our lives forever. ‘Stars and Raindrops‘ is a magical song that creates an atmosphere with its instrumental and melodies that is truly unlike anything else out there, all tied together by the beauty of Seungmin‘s voice. And somehow, ‘Stars and Raindrops’ live adds even more texture and beauty to this already perfect song. To have a live performance was yet another dream come true.
Episode 08: ‘The Giving Tree’ (Lee Seung Yoon Cover) With I.N
Just as it made sense for ‘Love poem’ to be the first episode, it made perfect sense for the first guest in SONG by. to be the second member of Vocalracha: I.N. In honor of I.N‘s birthday, they collaborated to cover an OST out of one of their favorite K-dramas, Our Beloved Summer. We could never get tired of the way their voices fit each other so perfectly and complement each other to the point of making each other even better vocalists. There is magic every time they sing together, and this episode of SONG by. is one of the most beautiful proofs of it.
Episode 09: ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ (Billie Eilish Cover)
Our last pick is the most-watched SONG by. episode yet, with over 4 million views—and it’s for a reason. ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ was everywhere, and even though we could never get tired of it, Seungmin‘s take on the viral song felt unique, memorable, and refreshing. Seungmin‘s voice fits sweet pop songs to perfection, and the way he turned ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER‘ into an even more emotional song, with just his voice and a piano to accompany him, is proof of it. It’s no wonder this cover went viral. His voice on the bridge and the last chorus has to be one of our favorite vocal moments in the entire series. Seungmin holds so much beauty and emotion in his voice, and the way he showcases it never fails to amaze us.
What’s your favorite SONG by. episode? What’s your favorite cover Seungmin has ever done? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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