NCT's HAECHAN Serves up Debut Solo Album: "TASTE"

Photo Cr. SM Entertainment

NCT’s HAECHAN has unveiled his eagerly anticipated debut solo album, TASTE. The 11-track collection, led by the title track ‘CRZY’, showcases HAECHAN’s deep love for his favorite genre, R&B, with rich elements of soul, hip-hop and jazz infused throughout. 

As a member of the multi-million-selling global group NCT, HAECHAN has cultivated a devout fanbase for his unique vocal tone, captivating performances and stage presence. On his first solo outing, the star lets his musical capabilities run unfettered through a range of songs that capture contrasting moods and energy. 

The title track ‘CRZY’ is an R&B pop uptempo that fuses powerful 2000s hip-hop funk rhythms with guitar strokes, evoking the spirit of Justin Timberlake’s Justified era. The lyrics, depicting the push-and-pull of a fateful encounter, allows HAECHAN to flex his dexterity in moving between raspy rap and velvety harmonies. 

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Album opener ‘Camera Lights’ hears his effortless vocals glide over a Philly-style neo-soul number with jazzy keys and loose drum rhythms. Meanwhile, the explosive 2000s-style hip-hop and R&B banger ‘ADRENALINE’ is primed to soundtrack a late night car chase scene in Fast & Furious. 

Listeners are quick to be served tender moments to balance the bursts of energetic productions. The retro-funk style R&B number ‘Love Beyond’ captures a precarious love fueled by yearning for the other, followed by ‘Roll With Me’, a soulful track depicting moments of romantic escape from life’s complexities. 

On the silky soul-funk interlude, ‘Intermission’, HAECHAN narrates his readiness to showcase the talents he has honed over the years and begin his full-fledged journey as a solo artist before leading seamlessly into ‘Talented’. The electro-funk pop track, driven by swing bass riffs, is a declaration of HAECHAN’s ambition to captivate you with his talents.

‘WYN?’ (featuring HAON) hears HAECHAN in hot pursuit, highlighted by an addictive chorus that calls out “What’s your name?”, while ‘Should Be’ channels the classic 90s R&B break-up ballads. The honest and contemplative mood spills over on ‘Grey Rain’, an acoustic pop R&B song where HAECHAN reflects on the profound emptiness behind a glamorous, fast-paced life. The deliberately placed ‘Outro (Back In The Studio)’ serves as both the final course of this first “taste” of HAECHAN’s solo project while hinting at more music to come.

The album title TASTE serves as an invitation for fans to savor HAECHAN’s very first creations as a solo artist. It also reflects his musical ‘taste’, shaped by the soundtracks of his childhood days, when he was dreaming of becoming a singer, and through his near-decade in the spotlight as one of K-pop’s most prolific performers. This journey is just the beginning for HAECHAN and through the album, he gathers elements of his past to bring us up to speed with the artist he is today. 

Listen to TASTE