NCT’s Doyoung follows a ‘Little Light’ in his solo debut

By: Gelene Peñalosa - 7 months ago

NCT now has its 3rd soloist— NCT 127 and NCT Dojaejung’s main vocalist Kim Doyoung.

On April 22, 2024, at 6 P.M. KST, SM Entertainment and Doyoung released his first solo album, “Youth” on all streaming platforms, along with the music video for the album’s lead single, “Little Light.”

Composed of 10 tracks, with the special participation of SM Entertainment artists Taeyeon and NCT’s Mark in the track “Time Machine,” the album is a showcase of Doyoung’s individuality and vocal prowess.

Youth is a theme that’s been used several times by numerous K-Pop boy groups these days, but for Doyoung, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily, “it was an inevitable choice” as he is “currently in the pinnacle of both his career and youth.”

At the same time, Doyoung, as much as possible, wanted to present an image completely separate from the NCT brand. For him, members Taeyong and Mark are the first people who come to people’s minds when they think of NCT, and as such, it gave him more freedom to choose the kind of music he wanted to do for his solo album.

While preparing for his solo debut, Doyoung revealed in an interview with The Korea Times that he asked himself, “What am I now?”, and then decided that he was someone living his youth enthusiastically. From that conclusion, he was determined to represent the diverse range of emotions that people feel in their youth, but also “did not try to define it since it can come in different forms.”

The album’s leading track, “Little Light,” is a nod to Doyoung’s past, where he was formerly part of a high school band. Cho Won-sang from the South Korean rock band Lucy wrote the song, with Doyoung saying that he loved the band’s music.

“Many artists sing about youth, but I am particularly fond of Lucy’s music for being both upbeat and sentimental. That’s why I got hold of Cho. I was actually touched by his tune as soon as I heard it.”

“Little Light”, according to Doyoung himself, is a message of hope and courage. “Everyone is the hero of their own story, but sometimes, it seems we truly desire to become the main characters.”

Simultaneously, Doyoung, in his first solo album, wants to be recognized by his voice and songs. “I want to sing the songs that everyone knows,” he started. “There are some tunes that people never know even if they reign atop multiple music streaming charts. But people can immediately recognize certain songs once they hear them, even though their rankings are not that high. The latter is what I pursue.”

The music video for “Little Light” sees Doyoung following and chasing a firefly, while in some shots the idol was seen performing amidst a green landscape. The beginning of the music video also seemed reminiscent of a scene in Shinkai Matoko’s 2016 film, “Your Name.”

NCTzens congratulated Doyoung for finally debuting as a solo artist—which was 8 years in the making since his debut in 2016. NCT members Mark and Haechan were seen showing their support for their “hyung.” Composers and producers who also participated in the making of Doyoung’s album also came forward to shower their support for Doyoung.

Congratulations on your debut and for this “little light,” Doyoung!

 

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