Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
The ‘Produce 101‘ train keeps chugging along with the debut of soloist Yoo Seon Ho. Making his mark as one of two very young trainees from Cube Entertainment (the other being Lai Guan Lin, who would go on to debut as part of Wanna One), Seon Ho developed quite a fan base through the series. But despite his popularity, Cube didn’t really have much for him to do after ‘Produce’ ended. Down the line, I’m sure he’ll become part of a new boy group and be very successful in that role. For now, he’s been given “Maybe Spring” as a place-keeper of sorts while fans wait for something more momentous.
We haven’t yet been inundated with these kinds of wistful, acoustic ballads this spring, and I’m not complaining. It’s probably my least favorite K-pop trope, and it invariably rears its sleepy head each year. “Maybe Spring” was written by Lee Jin Ah of ‘K-Pop Star 4‘ fame. I didn’t care for her jazzy style then, and I still don’t now. From start to finish, the song is pretty much a recipe for “music that The Bias List doesn’t like.”
Fair game to those who enjoy this kind of light, ephemeral sound. And as spring songs go, “Maybe Spring” isn’t terrible. The delicate piano provides a nice touch, adding a constant sense of movement to an otherwise low-energy production. Seon Ho is clearly still developing as a singer, with his performance here is as airy as the track itself, and it really doesn’t offer any insight into who he might be as an artist. I look forward to hearing him find his voice, but for now “Maybe Spring” is little more than pleasant background music for springtime activities.
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