Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Block B‘s Park Kyung continued his solo career recently with the release of “Instant“, a song that he composed, wrote, and produced. Quite frankly, his individual releases haven’t left any kind of impression on me to date, as I can’t recall a single song from his solo discography. “Instant” changes that.
Honestly, the whole concept just works. The styling and music video serve to enhance the song, which sets up a perfect atmosphere for everything. “Instant” has a funky groove to it with some alternative influences, and the live band backing serves the track well with easy-to-engage-with melodies. It’s a rather off-kilter arrangement, which works as it never gets too far off track but it throws enough unexpectedness into the song that it doesn’t bog down. Meanwhile the chorus is just addictive and developed well, even if it lacks hook qualities.
Park Kyung himself does a surprising turn as a vocalist considering his start as an underground rapper. He brings some of that history to his style, which is playfully sing-songy with obvious hip-hop influences in his flowing delivery. It’s a quite unique performance, and the random inclusions of falsettos help keep the listener on their toes throughout, matching well with the instrumental. Lyrically, the song draws parallels between everyday life and fast food, lamenting the inherent shallowness of things, and Park Kyung helps you feel that in the song. Sumin was a welcome inclusion to the track, but her addition almost feels like it comes too late and she could’ve been utilized much more effectively in the middle or in concert with Park Kyung.
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The first thing that popped into my mind after seeing and hearing “Instant” was Jamiroquai, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever associated with K-pop before. While this isn’t a track that necessarily will jump out at you, the head-bobbing instrumental, the catchy melodies, and the personable performances help this grow on the listener and attain considerable staying power.
