I’ve written many reviews since the conception of this blog and sometimes my thoughts on certain tracks or albums change drastically. Other times, I want to revisit some albums or tracks that I missed reviewing upon their release. Looking back can really change your perspective on projects and with this segment, i will be highlighting some of my favourite songs and/or albums released post Kbopped.
To be completely honest, I’ve kind of fallen out of love with modern K-pop as a whole. And while this does explain my lack of activity on the blog, remains at odds with my relation with music as a whole, which has quite heavily gravitated to more varied sounds in general. As such, bar venturing into other musical markets, I’ve surprisingly found myself falling back quite heavily into BTS’ older work. Most of the material has expectedly remained top tier, with “The Most Beautiful Moments in Life: Young Forever” standing firm as one of K-pop’s all time greatest records. A collection of b-sides as flawless as House of Cards, Autumn Leaves, Converse High and Butterfly alongside those immense singles is near unthinkable in today’s climate. However, I’ve also been more pleasantly taken aback by the number of songs that have gotten better with time. And of those, Jung Kook’s emotive My Time stands as one of the biggest growers.
I first reviewed My Time as part of my review for the groups seminal 2020 project “Map of the Soul: 7”. A project that though heavily anticipated, still in my opinion, lacks the impact of the groups best work. Both musically and commercially. Bar title track ON and My Time, for the most part, my opinion on the record remains mostly the same as it was two years ago. However for My Time especially, looking back now, my initial rating of 6.5 seems quite laughable. And in retrospect, many ratings from those early days feel more sensationalised than they would be now. A mix of inexperience coupled with a very strong and steadfast stance towards songs “my own taste” resulted in quite harsh or inflated ratings based on how closely some tracks fit certain criteria rather than my own enjoyment. And the emotive trap-assisted production of My Time definitely was victim to that narrow lens.
This is an excellent track, highlighted by a gorgeous production and an even more potent performance. Jung Kook has one of the most accessible and pleasing voices in the whole in industry and his strengths are on full display here. He imbues every moment of My Time with a perfect aura of strong vulnerability. A sentiment that perfectly reflects the tracks somewhat generic but nonetheless potent lyricism. A sense of being open but not weak. The synthy, trap laced production works well, providing a nice, dynamic bounce that powers moments of both verse and hook whilst also lending the track an addictive backbone that serves well for longevity. The touches of electric guitar are an excellent musical companion to this message, popping up briefly during the tracks opening few moments before becoming more pronounced throughout, bringing a sense of musical and thematic progression that’s oh so satisfying.
And though my younger self referred to My Time as “bland”, and with “a languid trap assisted instrumental that pretty much goes nowhere”, my current sentiments couldn’t be further. This is a great listen, one that maintains interest throughout with a wonderfully dynamic production that tells a real story from start to finish. Its melodies may not be the strongest or catchiest we’ve ever heard from Jung Kook but its simplistic nature works excellently when coupled with the tracks other elements. And in the end, it’s this sense of cohesion that really makes My Time such a joy and in retrospect, perhaps the strongest track off its accompanying album.
Verses: 8
Chorus: 8
Production: 10
Performance: 9
Final Rating: 8.75 / 10
KBopped 