photo credit by TOP Media

Mini Album Review: Kim Woo Seok – 1st Desire: [GREED]

Kim Woo Seok, member of UP10TION and he was part of the hugely popular X1 has released his first solo mini album ‘1st Desire: [GREED]’ and ladies and gentlemen please buckle your seatbelts because it is a WILD ride.

Let’s dive in!

1st Desire: [GREED]

We start off with the ‘Intro: Lost’. It clocks in just under two minutes and what a start! It’s dark and feels very foreboding. The very low bass had my heart thumping like crazy. It’s very intense and really sets the mood for the rest of the mini album. 

‘Red Moon’ is next and is also the title track. You guys, this song is a masterpiece. It’s sexy and dark and the music video is visuals on top of visuals. If this was meant to seduce people into the fandm, I’d have to say it totally worked. His vocals are amazing and sultry and the first time I listened to it, I got goosebumps. 

‘SINphony’ follows that and I have to say I chuckled at the title. What a clever play on words. If you need a song to feel sexy, I’d say this is it. Together with ‘Red Moon’ this will totally do it for you. The little ‘eeooh’ is a really cool addition to the chorus and adds that little extra spice. There are some really smooth descending lines in ‘SINphony’ that just totally work. 

Next up is ‘Somebody Like You’. The track starts off with a really cool beat and despite the sex appeal it feels a little bit brighter than the previous tracks. The chorus is definitely a highlight and it catchy as hell. The bass in this is superb and really drives the song forward. 

From Sexy to Emotional

The fifth track is ‘Do U Like’. It’s another softer song, probably even softer than ‘Somebody Like You’. ‘Do U Like’ is a love song and has some really cute whistling. It’s very poppy and has some funky instrumentation. 

With some slow guitar we slide into ‘Beautiful’ which has a ballad like feel to it. His airy vocals really stand out in this one. The dichotomy between the slow verses and then the almost cheerful instrumentation of the chorus had me surprised but I like the duality. 

The last track is ‘Winter’. We get a beautiful piano line and it perfectly sets of the ballad. The beautiful vocals of Kim Woo Seok get some major appreciation in ‘Winter’. And despite the nice sun outside, I want to huddle in a big blanket and put on crazy warm socks. 

Overall

‘1st Desire: [GREED]’ is a fantastic mini album and really shows how diverse Kim Woo Seok’s vocals are. He can go from sexy as hell to emotional ballad and we stan duality. This mini album is going to be replayed to death because it’s so amazing and has everything I need and want. I’m really curious to see if he is going to continue with his titles focused on the seven sins, but we’ll have to wait and see. 

The mini album isn’t on Spotify yet, but I found it on YouTube Music here

Ilse Van Den Heede
A writer with a slight coffee addiction and a tendency to find K-Indie gems in the YouTube rabbit hole.